Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Casa Meg, Five Years

 If you had told me, five years ago today, as I unlocked the door to a small condo for the first time, that I'd come to love this little home, I might have laughed. 

By this point in the proceedings, I'd had my share of anxiety and minor panic attacks about becoming a homeowner, especially this particular home. I knew going in that it needed a lot of love, and after a month of escrow and the act of signing over the entirety of my savings account to make this place mine, I was having...not buyer's remorse, but definite feelings of, "What the hell am I doing?!"

You know the story by now. The place was a mess. In five years I have:

  • Scrubbed years' of hard water stains and dirt away
  • Cleaned guinea pig poops out of various corners
  • Scooped heaps of crap and petrified food bits out from underneath the stove
  • Re-painted every wall (with some professional help)
  • Had the floors replaced
  • Replaced the oven/stove (DOA and also filthy)

    All of the above BEFORE I could even move in. Then...
    • Replaced the dishwasher (died after a year)
    • Replaced the refrigerator (died about two or so years in?)
    • Replaced the washer and dryer (washer died this year, dryer was probably close)
    • Had a ton of straw cleaned out of the dryer vent (Dude: "Bird nest?!" Me: "No, guinea pigs.")
    • Replaced the faucet on the kitchen sink (really fun when it broke and sprayed water across the kitchen)
    • Had a microwave installed over the stove (replacing a very ugly/stained stove hood that never worked) 
    • Had the kitchen counters and sink resurfaced to fix massive chips.
    • Had one new toilet installed (the other is coming soon)
    • Had my bedroom closet professionally done by California Closets
    • Same for the laundry closet
    • Fixed or had fixed myriad plumbing and A/C issues (I will likely replace the A/C in another year)

    Things on my current wish list:
    • Resurface the counters/sinks in both bathrooms (same process as the kitchen)
    • Have all cabinets, doors, and door frames sanded/painted
    • Replace A/C unit for newer, more efficient model (current is 20 years old)
    • Replace the second toilet
    • Replace sink hardware in both bathrooms

    But as it stands, Casa Meg, as it was christened five years ago today, is not too shabby. Most important, it's HOME. I walk in the door and know that it is my haven. I have comfy furniture, a pretty garden, and two sweet cats waiting for me. 

    Morning in Casa Meg--my window faces south
    so it's well-lit, but not sunshine-in-the-face.

    I have a piano in my dining nook. And a cat. 

    Getting the counters resurfaced this 
    year was the BEST. They look so nice
    now.


    The guest room/craft room/gym/office is pretty
    busy but it gets its many jobs done. A lot of
    Zoom teaching went down in here last year.

    I love the layout, where the bedrooms are on
    opposite sides of the house. My bedroom and
    bath are behind the kitchen. (Hi Popcorn!)

    Tons of comfy pillows and pretty colors. I love
    my bed and bedroom.

    Of course, home is best experienced from the
    comfort of the sofa, wrapped in your favorite
    blanket with a cup of tea.

    A favorite addition--a vintage chair that was
    my maternal grandmother's, and a stool that 
    Dad's uncle Matt made for Mom and Dad 
    as a wedding gift. Mom would love that I have
    made them my own.

    Tuesday, July 27, 2021

    And Just Like That...

     Seventeen years have flown by.

    Goodness.

    Seventeen years ago today, I started a blog. I was about to embark on the Biggest Adventure Yet in my life, a year teaching in England. I look back now and I wouldn't change a thing.

    In the years since, I have continued to find adventures everywhere--big and small. I'm not so great at blogging them anymore, in this age of rapid-fire social media. I rather miss it, though.

    Also just like that...five years fly by. Tomorrow marks five years since I was handed the keys to a needs-a-lotta-love condo and embarked on the wild journey of making it livable and then making it HOME. I'll post tomorrow some pictures of Casa Meg in its current state. I did a very intense clean last night and all day today (I mean, I vacuumed the balcony, that's dedication). It's looking good.

    And if I'm going to comment on passing time, well, here I am, about to start my seventh year at the same school (a record for me). I'm busy making sure my plans are up-to-date and ready. I taught summer school this year, so I had some time to organize my classroom and move a few things around. The prospect of having no Zoom learning this year is a very lovely thought.

    More to come. I have house pics to take.