It's a Brick House

Knock on wood. I'm probably jinxing this, but whatever. My wife and I are nearing age 40 and by God, we are actually going to buy a home... that is as long as the sellers don't do something ridiculous. Why do I say that? It's happened two times already in the past three months.

One of those two homes was listed as having all-new electrical that still had knob and tube wiring which was last installed in homes during the 1940s. We called in an electrician that estimated updating the home would cost $25-35k. That family is moving to D.C. because the husband will be working for Beto's campaign doing illustrations or some visual arts work. Four years ago he worked on Bernie's campaign, which surprises me because of that whole socialism thing and yet they tried to slip one by us. I guess we aren't in this together.

Anyhow, this potential first home of ours in the city of Ottawa is 20 miles from the town where we reside now. The population there is over 18,000 which is 18 times the size of our current town's population. No big deal for my wife and me since we grew up in a city of over 100k, but we are concerned about how our kid will react even though she's been gung-ho about moving to this new area.

I'm sharing this because we will actually be in an area where there are more opportunities for our family to experience life outside of rural 'Merica and for me to walk/hike/bike more, which, after everything that has happened, is very important to me and this is my journal. Even though I go out for walks constantly, you can only walk down to the stop sign at the far end of town so many times without wanting more.

The Illinois & Michigan Canal which once connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River travels through Ottawa. The canal has been converted into a bicycle/walking path that is 96-miles long. An actual bike path! Five years ago I think I caught two people having sex wrestling in the backseat of a car parked next to that very path in Joliet during the dead of winter when I worked for the newspaper. I was there trying to photograph snowmobilers using the path for a surefire riveting February story.

There are two great parks near the home, Matthiessen and Starved Rock State Parks. And did I mention we will be living in an actual city? I am looking forward to walking my dog and finding the shady part of town where the addicts with the sunken eyes roam the streets like zombies. I can play the guessing game of 'Drunk, Stoned or High on Crack?' Maybe we will get that second dog, an Irish Wolfhound, after all. There is a cemetery near the home and I wonder if I can walk the dog there or if society frowns upon that? Like if he marks a gravestone, is that bad karma? What if he defecates on a grave? I do clean up after him, but should I just avoid the graveyard? I can't wait for this new adventure to begin. This better happen this time.