Open, Suburbia

My beloved has been on a junket to move for about two years now. Usually after something breaks.  After our plumbing fiasco last week, he revisited his bookmarked real-estate sites with a fervor I have not seen since the Royals had a chance at the World Series.

On Sunday, we packed up the little angel and drove up north to look around at *new*, plumbing-warrantied, fancy, shiny houses.  Up until this point in the fun game, even after we almost put the house up for sale last summer because I thought it might save our marriage, I have not really wanted to move.  However, yesterday I fell in luv.

I'm not sure I love the location, though. It's in a DEFINITE SUBURB.  With a STRIP MALL featuring Applebee's, Panera, Longhorn Steakhouse and myriad other chain restaurants flanked by big-box faves such as Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Be-aaauuggtch - not an independently-owned anything as far as the landscaped prairie grass can ripple.   

However, when I looked at the nice, big bedrooms with new carpets and walk-in closets, I felt a little drool starting to trickle out of my mouth and drip onto the little angel's head.  It was rather like the feeling I got when I realized how GOOD Lifestrides really do feel, even though I would never strut them around in public.   After spending the last six years with beautiful-but-dusty-and-freezing-cold, cat-hair-collecting hardwoods, my toes seemed to sink dramatically into the pile of the wall-to-wall. And there was a coat closet!  Imagine that in a house.  The basement didn't look like something out of Silence of the Lambs.  Ah, coo.

So, we put some money down to hold the lot. I have to say that I am not pleased with the idea of trying to sell This Old House over the holiday season. Somehow I think in the game of Santa V. Mortgage Down Payment, the fat guy can safely double-down.  However, that's what's funny about that little thing called hope.  Even after Bush won the election, '80s fashion really did come back and Martha Stewart made friends in prison, I still am able to naively think someday hybrid SUVs may be affordable.  Hey, I'm from Iowa.  Maybe we'll get this house!