At least the rats keep the mice away

There's some sort of mound in a corner of the back yard.  I poked it with a stick.  It's either the previous owner's compost pile or a monster den.  Maybe I can tell by what grows there next Spring.  If it's verdant crops, it's probably compost.  If it's the restless undead, it's probably not.

I saw a big pile of fur out there one afternoon, like a rat had spontaneously shed all its fur.

I ought to turn the mound over and see what comes out.  I need a pitchfork.  And some torches.  And a shotgun.

...then monsters jump out

It's really quiet here.  Often I hear nothing whatsoever.  When the heater clicks off or the toilet stops running, suddenly I notice the lack of noise and get a little scared.  It's not supposed to be so quiet.  Something must be wrong.

And so it begins

I skipped my first weekly task-list this weekend.  I was playing Dragon Quest IX instead.  I didn't even do the dishes.  There's a stinky stockpot on top of the stove.

Yard work

I'm starting to like working in the yard.  Today, I dug up my dahlias, hoping to replant the tubers for next year.  It was kind of hard work because I don't have the right tools.  No real shovel, just a hand-held soil scoop.

After re-reading the texts on dahlias, I think I threw away the "keep" part and kept the "throw away" part.

Mostly, though, I rake.  If I've got an empty "yard waste" dumpster, it takes about 90 minutes to rake enough to fill.  A little exercise, fresh air, and sense of accomplishment.  The leaves and needles fall faster than I can have them hauled away, so in a way it's OK for me to do a shoddy job.  I can't get it all, so why get it all in one part of the yard?



The rest of the day always feels longer after I've worked in the yard.  I have a theory that novel experiences slow down time, though, so maybe it will become a "times flies" thing after a few years.

Budgeting

The up-front costs of my house left me in a weird psychological state where I keep spending more money.

Between the down payment, loan fees, celebratory beer, quick meals out, movers, electricians, inspections, anti-stress beer, gas, and first-dinner-party-beer; I spent over a year's take-home pay in just a few weeks.  Don't get me started on the capital gains taxes; I funded the down payment by selling my lucky stock.

All that money leaving my bank account created some kind of vortex or spacial rift, and it's sucking still more money after it.  A $70 jacket here, a $40 board game there, and several $20 "special occasion" dinners at that-there Lebanese restaurant in the neighborhood... it's adding up.  I think that spending each dollar hurts less than it used too.  I'm not going to run out of money, but I'm saving less than I intend.

Mainly it's buying "little things for the house", even ignoring the dining room set.  Fireplace tools, cleaning supplies, dishes, yard tools, and so on.  I read about this beforehand, but that didn't make me immune.  At least I've resisted the temptation to replace my furniture... though I could use a new coffee table.

There are some upsides; I'm saving more on my car than I expected.  Adding a homeowner's policy got me a discount on my car insurance.  The discount is actually more than the house policy premium.  I should have insured a house years ago, even if it wasn't mine.  The daily commute is shorter (down from 60 miles daily to 10) and I use so little gas that I worry the gauge is broken.

I'm saving on food by cooking more real meals and taking leftovers to work for lunch.  I always went out for lunch, thinking I was saving time, but really this is quicker because I don't have to drive and wait in line during the lunch rush.  I'm not saving as much as I'd guessed, but I'm eating better, so on balance it's working out very well.

Mint is a great help.  It's the best monthly-budget tool I've found, assuming your have online accounts it can pull transactions from.

There's dirt and bugs down there

How realistic is it to expect that I can live here forever without having to go under the house?

Spider Sense

Downside to high ceilings: clearing the cobwebs out of the corners becomes a major undertaking.  I hate spiders.  Logically, I know they are usually not dangerous and can be beneficial.  But they're creepy.  I know they're up there, and don't like it.