katakat.com bytes from a participant observer

As you may have read in the 2005 edition of my annual newsletter (only recently sent out, I might add!), my parents are moving here to San Diego. Mom had a one-way ticket out here in December, and Dad has already come and gone, as he has to work another month before finishing up the packing and loading up a U-Haul to head on out here. Yes, I said U-Haul, and yes, he is crazy. Evidently, he and my Uncle John will be driving out the biggest one they can get hold of, plus trailing the station wagon. I don't even want to visualize this extravaganza of potential disaster. I just want it to be mid-February and over with. Meanwhile, during their holiday visit here, my folks purchased another house. What, you say; didn't they already have one here? Yes, indeed. And it just went on the market a day or two ago to pay for the new one. Because, you see, houses out here are stupidly expensive, and it's going to take two house sales to acquire this one. But no matter; the new house is almost as big as the Cincinnati house, without basement, of course. But a large 2-car garage. And double closets in 3 out of 4 bedrooms; 4 BR total. Very open architecture, good for wheelchairs. Lots of storage. Small yard. No view. Oh well. It is Southern CA. We pay for the weather. This house also happens to be a block down the same street Dom lives on. And it is a very nice area, good for walking, and very little crime. So we're hopeful it will be a much better purchase than where they originally intended to live. Now the tricky part is closing on this house around the same time that Dad arrives with the U-Haul full of stuff. And we need to rip out all the carpet and replace it with laminate floors, remodel the master bath for handicap access, and add air conditioning. More months of craziness!