I've seen several things from tooth extractions, impacted earwax removal, tonsillectomies, eye surgery, cysts blowing up, etc. None of these has impacted me as much as something I very harmlessly came across today. This post is difficult to write because I'm still having a minor physical reaction. So what is it, of all the things I've seen, that would cause such a reaction? This thing that would make me lose my appetite and get all queasy and make horrible groaning noises that disturb my three-year-old?
Bunion surgery.
It wasn't even a video. I randomly googled "bunion" to see if I was thinking of the right thing, clicked over to "Images," and there it was, right at the top. A picture of bunion surgery. It appeared to be two pickle forks pulling the incision on the top of the foot open. The bone and new bunion plate clearly exposed. I don't know what aspect of the photo was worse. I think it was a combo of the "pickle forks" and the bone. I think that's it. I think bones gross me out. And then it just looked like this delightful bloody bone banquet. Did you just gag? I did. This is so much worse than seeing the suction-y top of a Remora fish for the first time.
MOVING ON...
Yesterday I was able to go look at a house I've been so curious about for the last couple of months. It's not far from Dot, and has a really crazy story. Here's what I've heard. It's been empty for about seven years and was lost to back taxes. Someone bought it for what was owed in taxes because it was paid for, and the amount I heard was 3,000-5,000. That is an incredible steal. Without doing much to it, besides a new roof, the guy who owns it (who makes a living buying houses for nothing, doing nothing but a little cosmetic work on the outside, and then selling them for a profit. [Real estate development, right?]), is asking an INSANE amount for this house for the condition it's in. He's never tried to sell a home in a nicer neighborhood before, nor a home where he had to follow historical guidelines.
He knows what homes are worth in this area, and since he bought it for nearly nothing, he can afford to just sit on it. He's going to keep sitting because 1. a contractor isn't going to pay that much because they would never make anything in a flip. 2. The house would never qualify for an FHA loan, which is what most people at that price point would qualify for. 3. Anyone who qualifies for a standard mortgage would likely buy a house that needs way less work.
So me finally getting into the house:
It was amazing! I'm someone who can see beyond cracked plaster cosmetic stuff, even structural things, but my first impression of this house was being overwhelmed. It was built in 1920, and it has hardly been touched since. Original everything in the bathrooms, ORIGINAL KITCHEN CABINETS, and I don't know that the wallpaper is original, but it is very old (and I think it's really awesome...for wallpaper). The only thing I can tell that has been done is the addition of a sunroom...and new ovens and a stovetop in I'd say around the 50's.
Dot was built in 1921, and she remains quite true to her original self with the perk of updated plumbing and electrical work. I have never been inside of a house that is nearing it's hundredth year of existence and still looked exactly the same. It was so cool, but like I said, it was overwhelming. If nothing that I could see had been touched, that means that everything I couldn't see likely hadn't been touched as well. I'd only seen what the property had to offer from the outside and it had everything on the list of things I'd really like: a two car garage, with living quarters (a yoga studio?). We knew the inside had a small basement (perfect for weathering OK storms), and the house has TONS of windows. The only un-perk was no front porch. It's also not a HUGE house. It's one of the nice in-betweens in our hood, definitely on the smaller side, but not a micro like Dot. Let it be known that I think Dot is perfect with the exception of her only having one bathroom. If I could figure out a place to put just a toilet, I would. ;)
Jake and I have talked about it, I even called the owner, but he is firm at his price. And there is NO WAY paying the amount he's asking would ever be a good idea. We're friends with the people who live next door - they have a son that was on Cora's soccer team. She desperately wants neighbors and to not have workers there everyday who aren't really doing anything but throwing cigarette butts in her yard and formerly blocking her driveway. She's come up with a few good plans that could make the turn-around of this house a real possibility, even if not by us. This house deserves it. It has major charm. And I hope that whoever ends up in it sees how lovely the original charm is and doesn't try to "fix" it.
This is going to be a two part saga because when I finally got to go inside, my phone died after three pictures. The part that made me love the house most (besides the staircase) was upstairs, so look forward to it. Here are the three pictures I got.
It has a double door entry way. You open the exterior door, and you're in a little windbreak area, and then you go through another door into the foyer, and you're greeted with this beauty of a staircase. All the way back is a half bath, and the closed door on the left leads into the kitchen.
I'm standing at the opening of the sunroom looking through the living room. The wood floors are the really skinny planks like Dot has. It's much darker than it would be because the sunroom windows are all covered on the outside because they're painting, and the large living room windows are covered by even larger old heavy drapes. Do you see the built-in bookcase? I think it would be so much to make built-ins on that whole wall, over the doorway and down the other side.
Looking into the dining room, and that's the swinging door into the kitchen. Someone really loved this house once. It deserves to be the object of someone's affection again.
Are you all anxious to see the rest? Hopefully I can get in again soon.
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