On the homefront

Often when I’m away for these medium-length trips (10 days, in this case), things at home pretty much stay the way they were when I left. This time, though, I have really felt out of the loop, as big changes and big opportunities are happening at home.

The first is that our stolen car was recovered! Not a scratch, nary a dent. Only covered in pine needles after sitting on a quiet street for a month. It was found near our old house, oddly enough, with and 1/8 of a tank of gas – 1/8 less than the 1/4 tank it had when they took it. The fuse panel is off, and the radio doesn’t work, which leads us to believe that they used the radio fuse to hotwire the car. But other than that, it is fine. Thank god I hadn’t settled with our insurance company yet! (That was just one of many things on my To Do list that got bumped by this trip.) So all is well in that department. I was not looking forward to going thrrough the classifieds or craigslist again, looking for another cheap car in great condition. Now I don’t have to!

The second, and more far-reaching, is that our landlords have decided to sell the duplex we live in. They live in the downstairs unit, and we’re upstairs; she has also been our realtor while looking for our new house. You may recal that about a month ago we decided to look for a duplex or triplex to share with S&L, Erik’s sister and her girlfriend. After a heartbreaking losing bid on a great duplex, we were ready to put aside the house hunt until the fall, when (hopefully) the market will be a bit calmer and I’ll be home from Santa Fe. Well, that’s all changed! I think our landlords would be very happy to sell the duplex to us, and we would certainly be happy to buy it. We will all save money this way, as we will avoid the 6% realtor commission, and they will be happy knowing that their home of 25+ years will be in good hands.

I’ve missed out this week on the talks with the girls and Erik, though, about what we like and don’t like about the house/location/yard and about all the things we would need or want to change about it. I’ve been sad to be away from that. It’s so fun to sit around and dream out loud, to say “what if we …” and have everybody say “ooh, that would be fun!” I know those talks have only just started, and I will get to be involved in my share, but the first few are the most exciting.

This is the part of a life “on the road” that I don’t like. I know it’s inevitable; life goes on whether I’m at home or not! And thank god it does. We have phones and emails and blogs to maintain connection, to try and share the ups and downs of life on my end or theirs. But there is no substitution for a knowing look, an impish glance, a warm hug, or daydreams over a simple meal. At least I know that those things, too – and more – will be waiting for me when I get home.