Getting ready for our Mile High Move

On Monday, one of the technicians from our Internet provider, West Wisconsin Telcom (who furnished us excellent service) will back up and pack up my computer, leaving me without computer access until I get myself settled in Colorado. I’m aiming to be on line and blogging the week of 3/15. In the meantime, this blog will be having a vacation. When the blog returns, I’ll also post my new email address, as well as more Adventures of the Flying Yoga Mat. Till then, happy trails!

Recently read: William Lashner’s Past Due

Again, an author who I’d never heard of before has jumped to the top of my Must Read list. Defense lawyer Victor Carl is a likeable sad sack who not only doesn’t drive a fancy car, but lost his cable through nonpayment and has to visit his ailing father in the hospital to watch the Sixers play Orlando. The plot is extremely complex and handled masterfully. Carl’s client (who, like his lawyer, doesn’t pay his bills) is found with his throat slit on one of Philadelphia’s piers not long after meeting with Carl. Philadelphia’s elite, its criminal element, and just plain folks are presented with humor, depth and compassion as Carl puts himself, and unknowingly his clients and his partner, at risk to track down the murderer for a crime that began 20 years before on that same pier. I’m stocking up on Lashner’s other books!

Mile High Move: Another new house

Everything is finalized and we’ll officially close on this house in early March. This one passed its home inspection with flying colors, as well as the radon test. The sewer test was an issue, but the seller deducted the repair cost from the purchase price so we will have the work done in the spring.

Recently read: Mike Dooley’s Infinite Possibilities

Dooley is another one of the teachers featured in Byrne’s The Secret. Although Byrne and her works leave me cold, Dooley turned out to be a whole other matter! An accountant turned entrepreneur turned writer—and, in my opinion, philosopher—Dooley’s book not only inspired me, but also provided explanations of many questions I’ve had over the years regarding Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. His philosophy is centered on his motto of “Thoughts become things—choose the good ones.” This was a life-changing book for me that fulfilled its subtitle of The Art of Living Your Dreams. I’m now engaged in his most recent work: 12 hours of CDs exploring Manifesting Change: It Couldn’t Be Easier.

You’ll either be blown away by Dooley’s teachings, or totally turned off. I probably would have done some eye-rolling a few years ago and set the book aside after a few pages, but Dooley’s work is just what I need right now in my life.

Mile High Move: Home inspections are worth every penny!

Advice: run, don't walk, from aluminum wiring.

It would never occur to us NOT to have a professional home inspector examine a house before we buy it. And this was the first time there was ever a problem report! Bad wiring, leaky roof, and foundation issues were the main concerns. Fortunately, that house and one other were so close when we made the decision to offer for the 30th Place house, that at one point I thought we’d need to flip a coin. We’re in the process of negotiations on the other house and should hear within the next few days. And, of course, we’ll have that one inspected as well. More on this soon . . .

Recently read: Ian Sansom’s The Case of the Missing Books

This is an odd book about a particularly unappealing protagonist in a setting that, like the hapless Israel Armstrong, hovers between tongue-in-cheek and outright farce. Armstrong, a Jewish librarian whose jobs have been one long list of dreariness, moves from London to a small Irish town to take the position of librarian. Instead of a welcoming committee, he finds the library shut down, an overweight Anglo-Asian woman who holds a government position that, among other duties, covers the library, a testy van driver, dreadful coffee, and hundreds of empty library shelves. Good, but skip it if you’re in the mood for thrilling suspense or a slice of real life.

Mile High Move: We found our new home

This weekend, after a marathon day of house-viewing on Friday (14 houses), and a brief bout (7 houses) on Saturday, by Saturday afternoon we were at our realtor’s office writing an offer. By my arrival home on Sunday, our acceptance of the sellers’ counteroffer was waiting for me to sign. Sheila Weaver, Re/Max Alliance, also had a good weekend—she had a sale finalized for another couple on Saturday, followed immediately by ours. Located in Golden, if you are looking for a good real estate agent in the Denver area, she is a good one! For more information about Sheila, visit http://sweaver.homesincolorado.com/