Keeping House and Garden

We bought Villa Wifey almost 17 years ago, and at the time it was a nearly new house -- just three years.  Well, even the arithmetic challenged like me can tell that the house is now close to two decades old -- time for some repairs and upgrades.

Despite three hurricanes and a few nasty unnamed storms, we were free from roof leaks -- at least indoor ones.  There was a pesky leak onto one of the front porches, or loggia as the builder called them.  But I ignored that one -- would just sweep off the puddled water after a major rain.  Then, a month or so ago, our burglar alarm went off, at 2 am, even though I hadn't set it.  The company called, I struggled to remember the password, and then the agent said a smoke detector had tripped.

I went downstairs, to the curious look of two sleepy dogs, and saw a puddle by the pool door.  I figured the wind had blown in rain, and then I felt some dripping -- from the smoke detector.  Sure enough, the roof had leaked around a dryer vent, and the water came in through the detector -- shorting it out and making it cause the alarm.

My good friend Norman had THE roofer -- sure enough, Infinity came out, gave an estimate, and the following week, over three days, fixed the leaks and restored some rotted wood.  A few weeks later, the manager called to tell me to pay the company $1000 LESS -- they used fewer materials than they budgeted for.  They now have a customer and referral source for life.

We've also had to replace 3 of 4 a/c units -- apparently after 14 years, you CAN stop a Trane.  Again, Norman was the man -- referring me to Danny, the best a/c guy around.  He suggested I go with the cheaper Carrier units -- just as good as Tranes, and much easier to get parts. Sure enough, last month a lizard decided to end his reptilian life by electrocuting himself on a condenser.  Danny fixed it with a part he had in his truck.  Had it been a Trane, he said, we'd have been hot for at least a week...

Yesterday Wifey's project was 2/3 completed.  She's wanted to upgrade the landscaping, but got too involved with issues of her dying father, and then peripatetic 92 year old Mom to focus.  She finally did -- hiring Sara -- the IT landscaper in our 'hood.  Sara is very impressive -- came to the US as a migrant worker, learned the trade, and now owns a company that does major projects -- many of the $5 M plus mansions use her.  She really beautified the grounds -- lots of rocks, and xeriscaped plants -- I told Wifey my days of dealing with constant sprinkler system repairs are in my past.

We are now the proud non owners of grass -- it never grew well in our back yard, on account of the heavy shade trees, and it's been replaced by pea rock.  I approve heartily -- the dogs haven't reached their decisions about the change yet.

And we got lucky -- 3 hours after Sara's crew left, we were blessed with a torrential rain -- lasted several hours.  This am as I was checking the work out front, our neighbor Ben walked by, and I told him about the lucky rain.  No, he said -- I had to thank him.  He added water to his pool, and now it overflowed.  So the rain came via Murphy's Law at his house.

So the joys of owning a house continue.  Wifey still wants to move, but I have her at bay, for now.  We've agreed to see where D1 and her man buy their place -- and then relocate close by.  If we're fortunate enough to get grandkids, we can be the type of grandparents Wifey's parents were -- ALWAYS available to babysit, and send the young parents out on date nights.  My inlaws were wildy annoying -- my suegra continues to be so, but I always agree they WERE kick ass grandparents.

Of course, when (and I say when and not if) D2 comes home, and she chooses a part of town far from her sister, well, we might have an issue then.  But I think the two Ds would also like to live close to each other.

Anyway, given what I have been up to for the past 31 years - owning property - it might be time to rent.  As we learned, there's no guarantee real estate appreciates, and renting might be the way to go.

For now, though, the repairs and remodels will continue --the so called privilege of ownership.