Tag: houses

  • There’s Something About Portland [Oregon]

     my-moorage

    10 years ago I bought a house, actually a floating home, in Portland Oregon.

     

    At the time when I was told things would need replacing or work would need to be done in 10 years, and I thought to myself:

    “Who cares, I won’t be here.”

    FYI – I never stay anyplace more than seven or eight years.”

    Well – here we are 10 years later and I am still in that very same house. In fact this is the longest I have stayed put in one house since I moved away from New York City – and that’s 50 years of moving!

    There is obviously something about Portland that has kept me here. I had to stop and think about it and I’ve come to the conclusion it’s

    • my neighbors
    • my house
    • the river
    • the city itself
    • the friends I’ve made here
    • the love of beer wine and dogs
    • and lots more

    And another thing I do think about as I have aged 10 years since I’ve lived here – is that I feel safe. Moorages are pretty safe, there’s people around most of the time and it’s just a friendly, neighborly situation where we all watch out for each other – so it’s a very safe place to grow old[er.]

    The downside, though, of staying put for these 10 years, is that those things that I was told would need fixing – now need fixing.

    When you move every seven or eight years, you don’t have to deal with a lot of repairs on houses, new appliances, or other things that might need being done. You go out and buy another house that meets your new requirements.

    Well here I am, and I guess it’s time to start remodeling this house,

    because frankly – I really don’t feel like moving again.

     

    Thoughts? Comments?

    Thank you!

  • Staying Put For A Change

    October is my month of too many ambivalent feelings, many good and bad memories and way too many moves!

     

    But this October is different!

    I'm staying put and it is a record breaking event!

    Since leaving New York City, I have not lived in the same home for more than 8 years….

    Much as I do hate moving – I did it so regularly.

    Moving was usually preceded by fixing up the house – painting etc. before selling it.

    Now? I am in the same house for going on 9 years and the fixing up, painting and remodeling are all for ME!

    It is an odd feeling..

    I still don't love the rainy winters here – but I've learned to live with them – and since my son moved back to D.C. – I can go visit there or take a trip to another drier location…or stay here and ski [much more fun now that it is free]

    An oddball thing that I have learned from this is that some small appliances like toaster ovens and microwaves are made to last only 7-8 years! As I was moving and usually not taking them with me I never knew that…

    I know now as I have had to replace them..

    My next thought is: can I live here longer than I lived in NYC?

    Followed by: do I want to?

     

    Comments? Thoughts? Thank you.