Adventures in Home-Buying

Ambush Bug · Post by **Ambush Bug** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 10:12 pm

And lo, it came to pass that Mr. and Mrs. Bug tired of apartment living, and therefore, they went out into the world in search of a new domicile in which to reside. "It must have a small yard," both of them said, for neither of them was fond of pushing a mower of lawns about on its tiny, inadequate wheels, nor were they fond of the rasping cough brought on by the mower of lawns' toxic fumes. "It must have a two-car garage," both of them said, for they were possessed of two vehicles and neither of them wished to see their automobile stranded in the bitter snow and ice of Minnesota. "It must have hardwood floors," said Mrs. Bug, and Mr. Bug agreed, since hardwood was easier to clean. Both of them were possessed of two cats, Buster and Rufus, and the cat Rufus was a furry one indeed, and he was not cohabitating well with the carpet in their current domicile. "It must be in range of the mighty gods DSL and CABLE," said Mr. Bug, and Mrs. Bug agreed, for through Mr. Bug's nefarious machinations, she had become a broadband addict as much as he. "It must be close to a Mayo bus stop," said Mrs. Bug, for she worked at the Clinic of the Mighty Mother Mayo, and Mother Mayo does not allow her working peons to drive to work. Mr. Bug agreed, for he did not like the idea of driving Mrs. Bug to work every morning at 7:30 AM, for he was and always shall be a night-owl. Many houses were looked at and explored, and just as many turned down. Some were discarded due to price, others for being located in neighborhoods with no stop signs and too-curvy streets, and still others rejected for sheer pretentiousness. One condo was explored, and dismissed, for when looked upon from a distance, it appeared to a man's eye as a giant hamster cage set against a golf course, and neither Mr. or Mrs. Bug wished to become caged while in the path of hurtling golf balls. Another house, well maintained and located aptly, was turned down due the actions of the seller, who brought with him a specimen of that most hated of species, The Pushy Realtor. Mr. and Mrs. Bug fled for their lives from that place, barely escaping with their wits and wallets intact, having tried wooden stakes on the Pushy Realtor with no success. And then, far along in their pursuit of a home, there appeared a quaint home on the lists, and Mr. and Mrs. Bug did explore it. "It has hardwood floors!" said she, and it was good. "It is within range of CABLE and DSL!" said he, and rejoiced. It was also possessed of a small yard, a proper two-car garage, and a proximate location to a Mayo bus line, and there was much rejoicing. And then, as the happy couple explored this house even further, a great discovery was made by Mr. Bug, a discovery that ensured his assent to the purchase of the house. Mrs. Bug, on seeing this discovery, agreed that it was a good thing, for it would keep Mr. Bug occupied and out of trouble. Upon descending the stairs into the cool basement of this house, Mr. Bug laid his eyes upon a thing that he had always wanted in life.... ...a lair! Yes, a lair like unto those of comic-book super-villain fame! Paneled in brightly stained wood, replete with escape windows and possessed of ample shelf space and secret compartments, it was a joy for him to behold. "Excelsior!" exclaimed Mr. Bug as visions of furniture emplacements and hidden speakers danced in his head. "For at last, I shall have a nook to call my own, a cranny in which my vast destruction of pixelated foes can continue unabated, a lair in which my books and my workspace can coexist! At last, my triumph is complete!" And so he went, cackling into the night.... --- Hehehe. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Yeah, it's a real lair, folks. Here's a couple of pictures for your enjoyment! The floor is carpeted, but that's 'cause it's in the basement. Everything upstairs is hardwood or vinyl flooring, and it rocks. <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... g">Picture One</a> <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... g">Picture Two</a> Is that not da bomb, or what? <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"> We just got the contract inked on this place today, as well as getting Mrs. Bug's house down home closed out as well. It's been a somewhat stressful day, but a good one. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub141.ezboard.com/bxmenclan.sho ... bug>Ambush Bug</A>  <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://www.xmenclan.org/images/x.gif" BORDER=0> at: 4/5/04 11:14 pm

LoSTimberWolf · Post by **LoSTimberWolf** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 11:09 pm

Great catch in getting a layer. I can see it now, your wife will have to put you on a IV and put bed pans under you because you stopped leaving the room. My parents are selling theirs in Dallas and moving to Ohio, and I am coming along. We found a house both sides of the family like, and a basement to die for. Grandpa's low offer was tossed out the window so we will be moving up there with no home to go to, except relatives houses. If my parents really want it they will try to put together a higher offer to get it, and I hope they do. My reasons: *Bedroom in basement, with long counter on one wall with cabinets (one will be taken back out to make a place to sit). *Large bedroom, at least compared to what I am in now, with a window facing the back yard, instead of the road out front like my current room. *Large living area in basement, w/ full kitchen, two desks and cabinets along the back wall. Current wish list is to build a bar that will hide the kitchen and give us an area to serve people, plus more storage (maybe a fountain too). *Back door in the basement so I don't have to go upstairs at all. I will be able to bring supplies in from the drive way to the basement without disturbing the folks in their room. *I will get a chance to work with my dad doing remodeling, re-tiling, refurbishing, and creating new things. Carpentry has always been a fun thing I enjoy doing from time to time. Also I will have six months, about, until I can get instate tuition for college. School ends the first week May, I leave my job the second week in May, and if the house is sold I move up the third week of May but if its not sold then it will be the first week of June. So this southern born Texan is heading up to the northern farm lands of Ohio. Anyone know of any good homes in the areas around east Lima? Gonna have to get use to living near all my relatives and my 8 year old cousins who could not get enough of me last time I visited. -LoS-TimberWolf{FF} Vehicle SpecilistEdited by: <A HREF=http://pub141.ezboard.com/bxmenclan.sho ... berWolf</A> at: 4/6/04 12:10 am

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 6:43 am

TW: I know there's LAN parties up that way. Megadeath, I think, lives up yonder. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> We'll miss you, though. Come back for the October LAN! Bug: OOoohhhh. Cool pics. The Bug's Nest. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Welcome to the world of home ownership. Personally, I've found that it's not the lawn mowing that is the pain, but all the other maintenance such as weeding and feeding and landscaping, and painting of da house, and such. You'll have broadband again! And all the people, save the foes of XMEN, greatly rejoiced when they heard the tale, and were glad! Mayo doesn't let employees drive to work?!?!?? <img src="http://www.xmenclan.org/xmengambit.gif"/> XMEN member Card-carrying DTM OKL Fish-napper Though a program be but three lines long, someday it will have to be maintained.  The Tao of Programming

Ambush Bug · Post by **Ambush Bug** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 10:39 am

Nope, Gambit, Mayo employees (save for the bigwigs) can't drive to work. The reason is pretty simple. Mayo employs 27,000 people and crams them, for the most part, into the very center of Rochester. There isn't enough room in the city for the parking lots required for the Mayo patients and the Mayo employees. So Momma Mayo made a deal with the bus companies, paid 'em a hefty sum and gave 'em nice benefits, and all their employees ride at no cost to the employee. Frankly, I'm hoping to get a job with Momma Mayo soon myself. Kick-ass benefits they've got. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> As for the yard, it's the mowing we hate. Feeding and whatnot we leave to the powers that be, since around here, unlike Texas, grass actually grows on its own. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"> If I could get away with it, I'd try and get us a goat for the yard. Garbage disposal and lawn trimmer all in one!

XMEN Iceman · Post by **XMEN Iceman** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 10:44 am

Nice one AB!!! Post some pics of the outside sometime. Very nice! Congrats! <table border=0><tr><td><embed align=left src=http://www.thzclan.com/avatars/ezice.swf menu=false quality=high bgcolor=#000000 width=217 height=166 type=application/x-shockwave-flash pluginspage=http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/dow ... <td><table border=0 style='Filter: Shadow(Color=#BB1403,Direction=255)'><tr><td>XMEN Iceman [DTM] Founder and Leader of the Base Tribes XMEN Clan Proud member of the Dragon Talon Mercenaries teamplayers Guild Citizen of New Fenecia You weren't much of a challenge - T2 bot after killing Iceman - click on avatar for links - no, not sausage links!</td></tr></table></td></tr></table>

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 10:50 am

Oh, it'll grow on its own here, too, but it gets company: weeds. I wouldn't really need to fertilize - since I am not really picky about whether my neighbor's grass is a deeper shade of green - except that I'm trying to get/keep it thick enough to keep the pesky weeds out. The big Texas thing is watering, lest thy yard become brown and brittle, and I didn't bother mentioning it to ye who live in the faraway land of a thousand lakes. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> I guess the Mayo deal with the bus lines is understandable, if the employees don't have to pay the fare. That'd be pretty unheard of around here, though I wish we had a system that could support such a move. <img src="http://www.xmenclan.org/xmengambit.gif"/> XMEN member Card-carrying DTM OKL Fish-napper Though a program be but three lines long, someday it will have to be maintained.  The Tao of Programming

Stang · Post by **Stang** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:28 am

Nice place for the Bug <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> . Congrats you 2 to home ownership. Show some pics of the rest of the place also <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> . Weeds Must Dieeeeee!!! <a href="http://www.thzclan.com/bbsradio"><img src="http://www.thzclan.com/avatars/stangav.gif" style="border:0;"/></a> <a href="http://www.thzclan.com/cam/index.php?zo ... <img src="http://www.thzclan.com/cam/stang/thb_ccam.jpg" style="border:0;"/></a>

MegaDeath70 · Post by **MegaDeath70** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 10:07 pm

Yuppers i live in Lima. i would live on the west or north end of lima myself. heres one real estate place here in town for ya to look at. <a href="http://www.cowanrealtors.com" target="top">housesforsale</a> <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.limalan.org/images/Sigs/Mega ... </div><div style="text-align:center">"MegaDeath //Definition: [n] the death of a million people; "they calibrate the effects of atom bombs in megadeaths" :-)!"</div>

Spinning Hat · Post by **Spinning Hat** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 10:02 pm

Ahem- it's 20,000 lakes Gambit. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/tongue.gif ALT=":p"> AB- Congrats to you and Mrs. Bug. Once Mrs. Hat has the baby, we should get toghether this summer down there for a BBQ... I'll even cook. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"> BTW for you Minnesotans, Airshow coming to Ankoka County- Blaine Airport in May... (KANE) Will keep you all updated as I know more. <hr /><div style="text-align:center"> "Never, Never, Never Quit" -Winston Churchill</div>

Ambush Bug · Post by **Ambush Bug** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 12:15 am

Pics, you say? I have pics right here. If any of these are a little blurry, blame it on our inexperience with the camera. It's got a tricky little delay between when the button is pressed and when the pic is actually taken, so sometimes a little movement sneaks in and blurs the shot. Hat, I'd love to have you come down sometime after we get the house bought. Dunno when, as things are hectic here, but consider yourself and your family invited for some nebulous time in the future. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> On to the pictures! <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... jpg">First off, here's a pic of the actual BAR we have in the basement.</a> Of course, I'm going to have to stock it. It's even got a dimmer switch for the overlead light under the counter, and it's also got that neat little flip-up piece on the left as well. Currently, the plan is to put all our books down in the basement, as well as a comfy couch for reading them. I'm halfway thinking about getting a nice wing-back reading chair, a smoking jacket, and some sherry so I can look all sophisticated while I read. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"> <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... .jpg">Also in the basement, the washer/dryer/softener combo!</a> Bet you didn't think I'd be showing you major appliances, eh? <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"> These are included with the house, and there's even a floor drain nearby should the washer flood over on us. These are in the unfinished area of the basement, which is divided from the finished area by doors that blend in with the walls. <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... pg">Here's a shot of one of the bedrooms upstairs.</a> They're all pretty much the same size, though this is the largest. Mmmmm... hardwood. That's not our bed, though--that's the current owner's stuff in there. (Soon to be remedied!) <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... h.jpg">The Workbench of DOOM!</a> Note the fridge right next to it--very smart placement, I must say. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Also in the basement, in the unfinished section. Not show in the picture is the simply massive amount of shelving that lines the basement walls. The whole area is very open; there's something like a seven-foot wide path between any shelf/wall/appliance and whatever's on the other side. Can't wait to use the bench myself, especially since it's got a nice set of outlets on it. Moving upstairs, we have <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... hen.jpg">a shot of the range and stove.</a> To the left, not in the picture, is the upstairs fridge. Across from these is a large counter with a nice double-sink, a garbage disposal (neat, so long as I don't grind up my hand in it), and a window looking out into the backyard. Speaking of the backyard, <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... .jpg">here it is.</a> This is a shot off the back deck. The deck will require some sealing, but that's no big deal, really. Plenty of space for cooking out. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> And, finally, <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... .jpg">here is a shot of the front of the house.</a> That's our nice realtor on the front steps there. She's pretty cool, and we haven't had a lick of trouble out of her yet. She was the one that helped us get the seller to go in on the repairs that are needed for the roof. The roof's probably the only really icky thing about the house. A roofer came and looked at the behest of the inspector and he was like "Replace this thing ASAP!" The seller, however, had said on his disclosure that the roof was only 8 years old. Hah! Realtor sides with us, seller gets to fork out some cash. Sweeeet. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> ---- And now, for some slightly random pics. Here's a shot of our cat <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ...  doing what he does best... laying on someone and being a warm furball. That's me he's got pinned down in the pic. I couldn't bear to make him move. I've been trying to train him in back massage, since he has these little tiny feet that are as hard as iron, and when he walks on your back, it's like having a masseuse work on you. You've got problems, though, if he decides to walk across your lap the wrong way. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/eek.gif ALT=":eek"> <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... .jpg">This is Rufus, our other cat.</a> He looks big, but under all that fur, he is pretty small. He's the smarter one out of our two cats, though that isn't saying much at all. These cats are quite possibly the most lovable, but dumbest cats I have ever seen. Rufus likes to attack stationary rugs, while Buster has a memory that spans all of about five minutes. Doesn't matter, though; I wouldn't trade these two for anything. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Now, if you've never been to Minnesota before, you should know two things: it's cold, and it's windy. Especially down here near Rochester. <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... pg">Here's an example of cold and wind's effects on your typical icicles.</a> Yes, they're bent. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> The wind here is usually constant around 15 mph, though it's not unusual for it to get up to 30mph, and it'll gust around 40 or 50 on a tough day. More than enough to make driving the wrong direction dangerous, that's for sure. <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... Heeeeere's Harvey!</a> This is a shot of the mascot of one of the local grocery chains, Hy-Vee foods. I call him Harvey The Psychotic Mascot. Yeah, he looks all happy and benevolent enough, but stare at him long enough and it seems like he's gonna jump out of the picture and impale you with his pointed nether regions, grinning that maniacal grin of his all the while. And, finally, the most random shot I could pull off. The story behind this is that we were taking shots of the cats, in particular, Rufus, and we were getting somewhat annoyed by the fact that Rufus is very hard to photograph without giving him 'demon eyes'. We didn't have quite enough light to not use the flash, so there wasn't any other option. While I was taking the previous picture of Rufus, it occured to me that the 'demon eyes' effect is really the flash bouncing off the cat's retinas. So I wondered what it would do if I took a shot of my right eye, which has a very large cataract in it. I turned the camera around, squinted up, and pressed the button. <a href="http://scribers.neondsl.com/~ambushbug/ ... pg">Here's the result.</a> The flash has bounced off the cataract and lit it up exceptionally well. Look carefully at the upper-left of the pupil and you can see the tiny shard of the lens that the docs cut out about a decade ago--that's the part I see through in my right eye. The rest of the lens is pretty much opaque. I still have 20/30 vision through that cut-out, and the docs tell me that the cataract can't get any worse, so I'm gonna leave it in place for the time being. No sense in cutting my eye open unless there's a huge need for it, I say. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub141.ezboard.com/bxmenclan.sho ... bug>Ambush Bug</A>  <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://www.xmenclan.org/images/x.gif" BORDER=0> at: 4/8/04 1:20 am

LoSTimberWolf · Post by **LoSTimberWolf** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 11:41 am

Your Buster cat looks very much like my Tiger cat. I can't get my cat to do any services for me either. -LoS-TimberWolf{FF} Vehicle Specilist

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 11:51 am

Looks much like my Badger, too, but I think Badger has some Maine Coon cat in him - big paws, over-furry toes, extra-bushy tail, etc. I can get him to remove skin from my hand. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"> And jump on the bed, and sit on my chest, and play hide & seek. But not much massaging. On the topic of cats, Rogue shared a link with me yesterday: <a href="http://www.student.ipfw.edu/~osbodr01/h ...  Cool pics, Bug! Thanks for sharing. Looks cozy.

X Rogue · Post by **X Rogue** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:03 pm

Whoa, cool digs, Bug. Corngrits. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"> Nice cats too. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"> I should add, that I have trained Badger NOT to sit on my chest, as he has a bone vibrating purr and likes to sit on ppl when they are sleeping. Training method consists of grabbing kitty and holding him over the edge of the bed whilst I groggily count five. Then he gets dropped. If he comes back, I repeat the process, except that I throw him when I get to five, rather than dropping. There has yet to be a third time. <img src="http://www.xmenclan.org/avatars/rogue_av.jpg" style="height:200;width:125;"/> "Fare well wherever you fare, until your eyries receive you at your journey's end." <a href="http://pub39.ezboard.com/brohan73264">Rohan BBS</a> <a href="http://pub3.ezboard.com/bxmenclan">XMEN clan BBS</a>

Stang · Post by **Stang** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:32 pm

Sounds like our little terror Leroy <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"> . Loves to sit on you, stand on you, purr on you, and to me he likes to mess with my hair in bed right in the middle so he has his spot too <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> . Run up and down the hall and climb the door jams. One crazy cat. But man has he got some pointy little feet! <img src=http://www.thzclan.com/forums/images/smilies/eek2.gif ALT=":eek2"> Nice lookin place Bug looks like it will be fun for you guys and not worry about banging the wall and buggin your neighbor <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> . <a href="http://www.thzclan.com/bbsradio"><img src="http://www.thzclan.com/avatars/stangav.gif" style="border:0;"/></a> <a href="http://www.thzclan.com/cam/index.php?zo ... <img src="http://www.thzclan.com/cam/stang/thb_ccam.jpg" style="border:0;"/></a>

Adventures in Home-Buying

Adventures in Home-Buying

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