Hot and Cold Running Air

Taking a quick break from working at home today. We're finally replacing our ancient furnace and central air conditioning. We scored a great deal on having both installed at once, and we jumped at the opportunity.

The furnace was original with the house, built in 1980. It was loud, smelly, and had an efficiency rating indicated by a pictograph of a neanderthal rubbing sticks together. The A/C was on it's last legs, having been repaired several times by Minnegasco, often through the shaking of ceremonial beads, banging of drums, and sacrificing of chickens.

It was time.

In the seven years that we've "owned" this house, this is just the latest in a running list of repairs and replacements, including but not limited to: water heater, water softener, sump pump, refrigerator, dish washer, garbage disposal, roof, tree removal... and more!

In short, our house inspector was a freakin' moron.

Now, however, we'll have a brand new efficient furnace with a digital thermostat, an A/C that actually works when you turn it on, and it's all backed by a full warranty. In June we're having the house painted and deck stained again. We're putting in some new flooring, taking on some interior improvements ourselves. It'll be nice.

Now if we could just afford new windows, a new deck door, landscaping...

Tell me again why home ownership is better than renting?

Lottery for a Home

A place to hang your hat. A roof over your head. A safe place for your children to sleep at night.

For thousands in the Twin Cities area, it feels like a pipe dream.

I just read this article in the Star Tribune, Looking for a place to call home in Plymouth. Over two days, about 3,700 people took applications for Section 8 housing in Plymouth, hoping to be one of the 300 drawn in a waiting list lottery. Last year, the Metropolitan Council received 25,000 requests for just 5,000 spots. In 2006, one in eight Minnesotans spent half of their household income on housing alone. Affordable housing is hard to find.

Our house may not be perfect. The furnace is old and inefficient. The windows let in wind and little rain on occasion. The air conditioner is probably on its last legs. It could use a paint job. It isn't one of the giant McMansions sprouting up in suburb after suburb. Years ago we could have stretched our budget and bought a bigger, newer house - but we wanted something that, if tough times came again, we could afford on one salary. No. It's not perfect, but it's safe and it's warm and I give thanks that we can rest easy there.

My heart, hopes and prayers go out to all of those people, waiting for a home.

What a Monday

This past weekend was a productive one in the Nerd Clan household. It was our daughter's 11th birthday. My parents came 'round to redecorate her room into one a little more "mature". The bubblegum pink walls were covered in a muted green. Grown-up, floor-length curtains covered the windows. All of the little girl toys went to one of three places: keepsake storage, giveaway box, or the garbage.

Sunday was spent finishing up a few odds and ends, but it was mostly restful and quiet.

Monday started relatively well. The brand-new 11-year-old was staying home with a cold, and Avindair was going to stay home with her.

"We'll snuggle on the couch and watch movies," he said. "It'll be a nice father-daughter day."

In my rush to get ready for work, Avindair offered to let me take his car. The one with the heated front seats.

"It'll be a treat. I'll even run out and get it warmed up for you."

Minutes later he came back in... an edge to his voice."Someone smashed our passenger side window."

Crap.

I threw on my shoes and ran out to the car. It was smashed in, all right. With a blank space on the windshield where our 2-month old portable GPS used to be. Nothing else was touched.

Our insurance company, Geico, was fantastic. One phone call and they made an appointment for a glass company to come out today and fix it in our driveway.

The police came to make a report. It was a little bit of a relief to find out that we weren't alone. Four home in our neighborhood got hit that they knew of so far. No one suspected until this morning. The NerdHound didn't even wake up. Of course, we're so used to the sounds of teenagers roaming the streets at all hours of the night (even though our suburb has a curfew), that I suppose we've become accustomed to a certain level of noise. At least we could take some comfort in the fact that we weren't singled out.

What now? Tony's father-daughter sick day has turned into "fix things and make the house secure" day.

1. An electrician is coming out today to install motion-detection lighting on the garage. We had our lights on, but according to the police, the motion-detection lights are a great deterrent for any future problems.

2. 1-800 Got Junk is coming out to haul away our remodeling refuse so that the cars can go back in the garage.

3. The auto glass place is coming to fix the car window.

One good thing, we were able to provide the police with the serial number for the GPS. If the thieves try to sell it at a pawn shop, we might be able to piss on their day just a little bit, too.

Now all we need to do is put signs around the house reading, "TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT". You think the neighbors will object?