Sep 19 2007
The Sign Of the Dog, Part IV
What is a really great motivator?
PAIN.
I had finally reached my pain threshold. I just couldn’t take it anymore.
I needed to move out, I needed to move on. I needed to take my life to the next step…home ownership.
I gathered my financial information. I ran online mortgage calculators. I researched financing options. I became familiar with terms like PMI, HELOC, and escrow.
When I began to falter, my mantra was, “Wear earplugs. Wear earplugs.”
I tend to procrastinate. No sudden moves, cautious approach, lots of circling. Why measure twice and cut once when you can measure 15 times and avoid cutting indefinitely?
However, once I am motivated, things can happen very quickly.
Timeline:
Early spring:
- Told to “Wear Earplugs” as solution to yipping puppies.
- Steam comes out of ears, top of head blows off.
- Determination and focus align.
Summer:
- Attended various open houses. Hot real estate market - buyers are offering over-asking price.
- Ms. Q has nail-in-the-eye fun.
- Find lender.
- Find real estate agent.
- View several funky one-bedroom condos of the harvest-gold and avocado green variety.
- View a couple “tiny gems” with massive price tags.
- Find fixed price condo in a new complex.
- Ponder. Price is stretching the comfort zone.
- “Wear earplugs…wear earplugs…”
- Put in offer on unit.
- Financing approved.
- Write a check with an uncomfortable amount of zeroes.
Late summer:
- Out of town most of the time for work.
- Order packing boxes online.
- Begin packing all non-essentials.
- Unit is expected to be ready early fall.
- New shipment of puppies arrives.
- Unit readiness delayed.
- More packing.
- Movers found.
Early fall:
- More travel.
- More packing.
- More yipping.
- Given assurances that unit will be ready.
- Give Mr. O’A 30 days notice.
- Victory dance in soon-to-be former apartment to the beat of yipping puppies.
- Schedule movers.
- Unit ready
- Unit inspected.
- Papers signed.
Close Encounters of the Immature Kind:
Mr. O’A: So you’re moving out, eh?
Ms. Q: Yep. Got it all planned out - movers will be by the 3rd week of the month, I’ll use the last week to clean.
Mr. O’A: Are you renting or did you buy?
Ms. Q: I’m moving.
Mr. O’A: So, are you renting or did you buy?
Ms. Q: Moving.
Mr. O’A: So, are you renting or did you buy?
Ms. Q: I think that is my private business.
Mr. O’A: Uh! You could be buying half the city, like I care.
Mr. O’Apostrophe sure told me off. Nyah-nyah-nyah!
Mid-Fall: MOVING DAY
- Up until the wee hours with last minute packing.
- Team of 3 men arrives at 9am.
- They load up the truck.
- They drive the few miles to my new home.
- They carefully unload the truck.
- They take a 30-minute break (off the clock).
- They unload the rest of the truck.
- I sign the receipts, give them each a tip, watch them drive off.
Elapsed time: 4 hours.
It took 6 months of pain to get me motivated.
It took me 7 months to change my life.
I closed one door for the last time. One rickety garden door.
I had moved out, moved on.
I go back into my building, take the elevator and walk to my unit.
I slide my key into the lock, twist, and push open the heavy steel door.
I needed a good kick in the rear to get me out of my comfort zone.
Who would have thought The Universe would send puppies?
Don’t worry. The story doesn’t end here ‘cuz it ain’t over ’til it’s over.
I still had to clean up my old apartment and get my rental deposit back.
Let’s get ready to rumble!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ah well it’s good to get a move on, eh? These stories are of good length, but I’ve never been a fan of continuations. Ah well, at least I’m already subscribed so I’ll see all of them in time.
Somehow I don’t think that the problems in the story are over.
Pics of the new place or it didn’t happen! :p
Oooooh I HATE terms like PMI, HELOC, and escrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE terms like “Why measure twice and cut once when you can measure 15 times and avoid cutting indefinitely?” though!!!!!!!!! That’s too funny!
Let’s just guess that he didn’t hand you back the deposit on a silver platter…I *hate* that!!!!!!!!!!!1
I second what HMTK said… although I have no reason to doubt you.
I love how you chronicle your life!
Derek Wong: I wasn’t planning on a series, that’s for sure! But I do try to parcel them out in digestible chunks. Besides, you’re getting a good feel for this whacky cast of characters, aren’t you?
I hope to wrap it up in one more post but who knows.
A little preview: It’s Ms. Q versus MRS. O’A!
HTMKSteve: Well, you did see my living room window is this post. Guess that wasn’t good enough?
Jill: I tend to avoid percentages and interest and figuring out financial things. My brain freezes. I know I’m not stupid but I avoid financial stuff. But I’ve been tackling that fear these days.
I had a feeling that my “measure 15 times” would appeal to you!
A little preview for you: surprising results on the issue of the deposit.
Sue: I’ll ponder including a photo of Chez Q. As a relatively new building it’s generic enough that you could put it in any part of the US. I am sure granite counters and stainless steel sinks will be the “harvest gold and avocado green” of the future. “Very 2000.”
Glad you’re enjoying my blast from the past and I’m glad you like my writing. Thanks!
I appreciate the series approach. It keeps me wanting more. I just can’t get enough of Ms. Q. As I said before, you know how to tell a story.
You are so right not to tell him your business. If he didn’t care about your method of payment for your new dwelling then why continuously ask? Jerk (Mr. O’A). He wasn’t providing a sensible living experience for you anyway. ‘F Him’ – Pardon the profanity.
I look forward to the next installment. If you tell me that he withheld your deposit because of some B.S. reason then I’m going to… keep reading. What can I do? LOL
loving the series…. sorry i havent been over in awhile.
I really identified with the sentence
“It took 6 months of pain to get me motivated. It took me 7 months to change my life.”
It took me 10 years of pain and I am on year 5 in the process of changing my life….maybe by year 11 I will ‘get there’ ?
I loved your answers to him btw. Direct, yet vague. NICE!
UT: I had no idea that this would be a series or even a compelling one! Glad you’re wanting more. I’m generally very open about what all goes on in my life but Mr. O’A was just too rude.
Meleah: understandable that you can’t always visit! I have had to cut down on both my blogging and my blog reading because, well, I have a job and I really have to focus on changing myself to get me where I want to go next.
When it comes to how long it takes to “get there” I try not to think about it that much as it seems so far away, like some kinda saga. Yeesh. Too much. Better to think of it as a mini-series. I don’t even watch TV I’m not sure why I’m even selecting this metaphor. Too tired!
I think it’s great your in the process of changing your life. It really is one day at a time. I’ve been making tiny goals for myself so I can say, “I am moving forward, I’m getting closer…”
The thing is that if you keep moving forward, you’ll get there, sooner or later. It’s not only courageous but life-affirming to live a life that brings you joy.
Glad you liked my answers to him.
He was such an odd little man, so suspicious. I can’t even imagine seeing the world through his eyes.
Thanks MsQ
YES!!! GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!!! I am very happy with MsQ, and I know you will be too.
Congratulations my friend