LeftOutside

There is a lot of anticipation involved in buying a new home. Waiting until you’re ready to buy, waiting for a response to your offer, waiting to close, and finally preparing for the day of the move. Then once all of that is done you have the house you’ve been dreaming of, but as a home it is still mostly a dream.

Four movers came to the condo and spent the better part of a day putting forth a Sherpa-like effort climbing up and down the mountain of our forth floor walk-up. Furniture found its places upon which Buddy found his spots. Slowly the cubist landscape of cardboard boxes were broken down and returned to Allison’s parents to wait for the next borrower’s move.

The house has loads of character and has witnessed over eighty-five years of previous owners. Traces of their residence play upon the walls and old wood floor like early morning shadows, which adds to the lingering disbelief that the house is actually ours.

A Rough Setup of the Living Room

The Backyard and Alley Garage

Almost every room of the house needs something to make it a little more comfortable or a little more us, but there are moments where  I get to just enjoy how much this truly feels like our home.

Michigan v. Indiana 9/26/09

• Before the game and after the game the weather was beautiful, but somehow during the game the stadium was cloaked in a misty fog that lent a sense of foreboding to the beginning of the big ten season.

• Often heard #1: “is it just me or is homecoming really early this year?”

• The game was one of the top 3 I’ve ever attended. Unbelievable tension, followed by relief that lasted for hours.

• This is the first homecoming where I felt like we looked like ”alumni” as viewed through the eyes of my pre-graduated self.

• Often heard #2: “we’re getting older”

• Big disappointments on Main St., while all of us were attracted to the slightly more subdued vibe of downtown vs. near-campus Ann Arbor we had a couple of major disappointments. Connor O’Neils expanded and lost some of the great pub feel that made it a favorite. Plus the incredibly loud music made sitting in the old section impossible. Grizzly Peak also failed to live up to expectation, serving a menu that hasn’t changed in years and a waiter that I think might have been hired away from Charley’s.

• Its taken a few years, but our pre-game tailgate is really feeling like something to look forward to.

• I can’t believe we still put 6 people in one hotel room for two nights and its enjoyable (although I didn’t sleep on the aerobed)