Hello 2022!

Time to take down the holiday decorations- and get some construction started!

So here we are in 2022. What have we been doing? Well, I was reminded that we haven’t posted in over a year. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like we’ve made much progress on the BAB, but looking back, there have been things accomplished. We’ve got a bunch of updates that we’ll be posting to catch up, plus some new stuff that is getting started.

In this photo, you can see some of the white security cameras next to the first floor windows that were installed over the summer. We’ll need to do a post on those- the recorded videos have provided us with entertainment, as well as some intel on some not so welcome visitors to the neighborhood.

We’ve continued to ‘shop’ for unique and useful items we need for the upstairs construction- plumbing fixtures, tiles and light fixtures. More on that in future posts.

Our insurance has been cancelled yet again. Our previous broker’s firm had been sold to a new company and they thought the BAB was unoccupied. We’re working on that, fingers crossed.

We’ve met with several general contractors that seemed interested in our second floor project, but they have all faded away or let us know that it wasn’t for them- the project is too odd, they’re too busy, etc. We’re continuing to look for that unique and important partner. Our construction loan has still not yet been finalized because, since we started the loan process, we now need detailed construction bids from a licensed contractor, not just our estimate. Hence, the importance of finding that partner. Our comparable real estate sales, or comps, have also expired. In the past year, there have been more favorable comparable properties sold with the recent real estate boom, so that task should be easier this time.

Speaking of the real estate boom, we tried to buy the little house that is attached to the east side of the BAB, without luck. We weren’t looking to expand our fixer-upper real estate empire but it would have been beneficial for us to be able to keep it in better repair.

Our urban mint patch continues to thrive, spreading without consideration of manmade barriers.

The original mint patch is next to the sidewalk. Check out the green sprout in the foreground next to the spray paint.

The mint has spread underground about 6 feet, sprouting thru a crack in asphalt that overlays brick and who knows what other non-organic debris.

We took a long awaited trip to our happy place, St. John, USVI!

Inside the red lines, blending in with the boulders, is Tom retrieving washed up treasures.

We get messy on vacation, too- throwing clay pots at Pottery in Paradise!

Unfortunately, I ended up sick, which landed me in the hospital for a bit when we returned.

This was no fun, at all, but it could have been much worse. I did learn to do one-handed e-mails on my phone.

The doctor thinks it was an e-coli infection. I’ve realized that my family has a common, thought not recommended, approach to serious illness. We can call it the “I’m Fine Syndrome”. Each one of us has had a run in with a serious affliction that put us in the hospital. The entire time we insist that “I’m Fine”. No one else in our travel group got sick, thankfully, and I’ve recovered. Seriously, I’m Fine. Really.

While we continue to search for a general contractor, we are starting on some work upstairs that we can do on our own in preparation for their part of the work. More posts to come- I promise, Fred! The sweet smell of sawdust hangs in the air.

We’ll end on gratuitous Maisy and Lily cuteness.

They aren’t judging us about our lack of significant BAB progress but what’s with the lack of squeaky toys around here?