I heard a noise this afternoon and thought “the neighbors.” Then I remembered I live in a house I bought during the worst housing market in modern history and have been in slight (OK crazed) shock ever since.

The noise turned out to be thunder. I’m a T&L storm fanatic and miss the ones I saw from my east facing living room and north facing bedroom in my coop on Riverside @75th Street. My apartment was on the ninth floor–the so called “architects” floor for Manhattan pre-war buildings. It gets the best light and yes I loved that part.

Here I have an upper floor deck and deck that wraps around half my house, and I don’t have the magical light and sky that went on forever. It was the best part of my apartment except for the bathrooms, floors, nine foot ceiling, and general adorableness but that began to cloy.

My ceiling @63rd & Fifth was eleven & half feet high but I only had three windows–granted a bay ceiling that had no view and the light had been cut off by the shadows of the old and differently named AT&T and IBM buildings that were actually built during my tenure there.

Here I don’t have the great light. Nor do I get to see spectacular T&L storms unless I run into one of the two upstairs rooms and I do. Also I don’t think they play as well as they did in New York because of the absence of tall buildings. I have seen it from the beech and it’s incredible but I have to get home as I’m scared.

Have to meet people with ocean beach views, and oh I have to invite myself during a storm to a house that looks over the Inter coastal–it’s common to have Inter coastal views. Not as great as the inlets in Miami (I am a fussy guest) but doable.

I knew before I decided to move here that if I lived here I wouldn’t have an oceanfront condo. I haven’t found one I think “attractive.” I look at real estate for a hobby. It’s normal for me to go house hunting as soon as I first visit a place. Between that and walking everywhere I get much more of a feel for a place than most people. I recommend both as low or no cost activities.

Most of the foreclosures in North Myrtle itself are ocean front condos that, I assume, people bought to flip. There are many more “regular” house foreclosures in the surrounding towns. Summer season really ended two weeks ago–school began inland and last week here.

Main Street was very busy at times. Now it feels a bit desolate in evening. So many people depend on tourists and/or newcomers for business.

I’m having Eldon make me a bamboo dresser and bamboo, in front of bed, bench. I have to find white furniture on sale for the sunroom as i want to do one room all in white as a contrast to the color in all the other rooms. Now Eldon must understand I’m not the National Bank of Pia.

People here are hurting big time and currently. It hurts too come into a community and see so many people doing so poorly. I’m not a soup kitchen kind of volunteer. The volunteer work I will be doing entails courts and people who suffered at the hands of….It’s what I do best so.

I feel incredibly insecure and will until new health care legislation is passed. I planned and began this move under one economy….I have developed a love for buying stocks that seem incredible and do or promise to do great things but if I buy them they begin their long descent into failure. People my age aren’t supposed to buy that much stock but I come from a long line, well my father, of people who love the stock market.

Thing was he bought most stocks before the day of the institutional stock investor and warned me repeatedly that an individual doesn’t really have a chance. However….I fear getting sick or needing an operation and the insurance that I pay $505 a month for will refuse to pay. It’s a valid fear these days. I hope any kind of reform is passed this session because frankly I will have more energy to fight for universal health care–a phrase that shouldn’t exist in a void–knowing I’m fully insured.

I’m sorry if I have been harping on this but getting off the meds gives me slight panic attacks and I stay up at night thinking about health insurance when I would rather think about anything else

My friend the former soap star is going to be back for the end of Guiding Light This did make me tear up as I think they treated him like shit. I thought soaps were the medium you could grow older gracefully in, and Jay looked incredible. I will be watching on 9/17 and maybe just maybe will finally be able to understand the show.

I will have new pictures in my house photo blog as soon as the outside is finished. My old couch is in my office. I have about four boxes left to unpack and two suitcases. Don’t know why the end is always such a tortoise game.
It is raining. I turn into a congested grouch when it rains. I need my house finished so I can not feel inhibited. I find I do better when I’m away from my computer for a couple of days or more. I’m going to try handwriting though I don’t seem to be able to put thoughts on paper with pen.

Lately I have been having dreams I don’t remember when I wake up but I wake up thinking my mother is alive. 30 seconds or so later I remember and I feel so sad.

I don’t think this has anything to do with Mother’s Day or time dead or anything like that.

My mother would be proud that I bought and renovated a house and its grounds (irregular plot of land or so the deed says.)

This weekend was the first time I could lie in my yard and read. It was so frigging cool. My yard! I’m starting a flower and vegetable garden. Flowers because they’re beautiful and vegetables because I love them, but have resorted to buying frozen here as I don’t find them very good. I am very spoiled. Having Fairway and incredible Farmer’s Markets at my fingertips. I also dialed out a lot. Something I think I have done once here. When I’m in New York though…

My house is slowly becoming a home. I want to share it with family and friends. The renovation, on a budget but using “quality” materials would be an achievement for anybody. For me it’s akin to climbing Mt Everest.

All I have left to do is get outdoor furniture, secondhand furniture for the sunroom, unpack the last few boxes and organize my office. I have an office! And a reading room across from it. In Manhattan my entire apartment was between 615-675 square feet depending on who was doing the measuring. My outdoor areas, not counting the upstairs deck is 650 square feet. Small by some standards. A great sized footprint according to mine.

I take none of this for granted. I’m busting with pride and joy. I would so love my parents to have seen this. Maybe they have…..

Next year Chicago and Earth Wind & Fire will be at the annual Mayfest on Main celebration.
My sister thinks I moved to paradise. Maybe I did.