some of you know that bim and i are in the final days of buying a house. and it's a beautiful house. with each trip to the neighborhood, we felt ourselves growing more attached to the idea of living there, until finally we let our guard down just enough, and crazy people possessed our bodies.
we made an offer. they accepted! we had second thoughts and lowered our bid. they accepted! we asked the bank to give us a lot of money. they (gulp) accepted. we negotiated every little thing and made a general nuisance of ourselves as interest rates fell ever lower. no one said uncle.
and that's how i learned about sundown syndrome, and became a bonafide sundowner.
i was going to post a funny picture of a person flailing her arms, trying to shake out the crazy person inside her, but that would imply that this is funny, which it is not. i am *almost* fine during the day, and even get a little giddy for about 3 seconds at a time. but it gets less funny with every sleepless night...and now, friends, it is that time of the evening when i really start to stew about what we've done. because why? because kids don't buy houses.
my sister reminds me that this is not a real problem and that i should get a real life.
she's right, of course, but you know what? that's like telling a person who's afraid of dogs to get a great big, slobbery DOG. a real life? that's the problem.
Here's my question for your sister (whom I need to hang out with): What's wrong with us and our 1st world, rich-white-lady concerns? We're people too!
ReplyDelete(We are looking for a house and I've read your email about the process to Jeff many times. I totally get it.)
It is super beautiful and we can't wait to visit and camp out in your uber cool backyard. Deep breaths K, and lots of chocolate ;) Sounds like the whole process went fairly smooth!
ReplyDeleteWow - Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. It kind of looks like something out of a fairy tale, with a fairy grotto for a yard:)
ReplyDeleteRemember when you up and moved to New York and lived there for awhile? I always thought that was pretty risky, and more of a real life than I could ever handle!
But you are right, buying a house is terrifying, and everything all bundled up in one. I remember signing and feeling like the world was ending, and I was ending our existence by doing such a thing. Yes - sundowners is a good description of the anxiety induced by such a thing.
Can I come and visit and get a tour? I really, really want one. And more, I really, really want to visit.
And I would love to live behind such an amazing door.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on being home owners! Very, very, very exciting!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful house! Sounds to me like you just need to figure out a new definition for adult-hood and your problem will be solved. For me, since I/we have bought three houses, it's a bedroom suite. Yes, three houses, but we don't own a real bed frame (just the cheap metal kind - no headboard or anything fancy) and no real dresser.
ReplyDeleteI want to move so badly, but I am also terrified out of my mind of everything that I know is going to have to happen to make that possible! Even though we already own, it's just a townhome, and we know we aren't going to stay here forever. I just feel like the next one has to be perfect (yours looks good to me) because I think it's going to be the keeper! That's a lot of pressure! Good luck with becoming a real adult. Let me know how it goes! :)
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ReplyDeleteBy the time I/we had had four children, purchased three homes and moved five times in six states, I still didn't feel like a real adult. It took waking up one morning in my fifties, looking at all the young parents around me and realizing that I was one of the OLD people now! At that point, it wasn't so much about adulthood as it was about age. I think I skipped adulthood entirely and went straight to old age. In fact, I can't really remember adulthood. :P
ReplyDeleteAnxiety about buying a house? That didn't really come until the whirlwind search for our fourth (and, in my mind, final) house. The Professor had said he thought we could do it and was ready to sign on the line; I didn't, and I wasn't ready to sign anything. Independently of each other and in sleepless mode all that night, both of us agonized over the decision and over each other's concerns. By early morning, I had come around to his way of thinking, changed my mind and was ready to buy. By early morning, he had come around to my way of thinking, changed his mind, and was ready to back off. We ended up buying the house, which as of this October 1st, we will have lived in for 21 years!
I think your house is so charming and I can't imagine anyone but you living behind that door! Can't wait to visit sometime.
P.S. I recommend the adult bypass.
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ReplyDeleteI love your house, Krista, and I think you did the right thing. And you are not really a bonafide sundowner because you haven't eloped at night yet, have you? Mood swings, maybe. That's what I get for sure. Ask Greg how it's been lately!
ReplyDeletethank goodness for all your comments--every one of them. we sign the papers tomorrow and tonight i am one giant, fiery ball of stress. but just think of how bad i'd be if you hadn't been there to help. i can't think about it because my brain is not my own tonight, but it would be bad. so very.
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