My cunada has joked over the years that she and my brother seem to follow me wherever I go. Not really true, but there have been times when they have. Two years after I bought my house on the Hudson, they purchased a home two miles down the road...with the most spectacular view of the river I've ever seen. It's comforting to know that they're so close. Especially now that most of our family is gone.
They joined me on my trip in May. It was not the most restful or comfortable one for sure. We were working on the house with no fans or AC and the temps hovered around 98º. My brother spent a day in the hospital and his wife had to make a trip to the pharmacy. I worried that they might be having a miserable time.
Well, a funny thing happened. While I was busy measuring square footage they fell in love with Merida. Who knew?
They approached me a few weeks ago with the idea of building a second floor on the back of the house. They're nearing retirement and it would give them a place to stay while visiting without us getting into each other's hair. I purposely looked for a two bedroom house to accommodate guests but this idea seems like a good one.
Fish and company start to stink after three days...or so they say. I live alone and enjoy my quiet time. I'm a very early riser and don't like the sound of a television mumbling in the background. I have two dogs. My brother and his wife, on the other hand, have been married for over 37 years and are very social people. They like to sleep late and the television is usually on (even though it's not being watched). They like dogs...but not those with a combined weight of 160 pounds.
Their idea was starting to make sense.
It would be nice to have them stay for extended periods without having to "dance" around each other and the additional space would bring in more rental income when the house isn't being used. In exchange for "air rights" they offered to finance my renovations which would help speed things along. As I mentioned before, my plans to make some repairs and changes to my Merida home are delayed due to repairs needed NOB.
Oh, and then there's the pool. They would want a pool. Who am I to complain? They twisted my arm.
The writer of my favorite Merida blog wrote about the strange shapes of properties in Centro. He included what appeared to be a bar graph on LSD... when in fact it was an illustration of the inconsistencies that make up Merida real estate taken from Google maps. As with most homes in Centro, mine is not rectangular...it's more like a trapezoid. I like the quirkiness of my house. Walls slant and taper. The footprint zigs and zags back and forth. The three of us have been talking about how we could configure the upstairs to make it functional and fit with the odd space provided. We're having fun with drawings and dreams but try as we may, it's been very difficult to see how this project is going to be achieved. Fortunately, the architect has more ability and experience than we do. He's from Merida, has worked on many homes in the neighborhood and we like his work so we have faith.
They approached me a few weeks ago with the idea of building a second floor on the back of the house. They're nearing retirement and it would give them a place to stay while visiting without us getting into each other's hair. I purposely looked for a two bedroom house to accommodate guests but this idea seems like a good one.
Fish and company start to stink after three days...or so they say. I live alone and enjoy my quiet time. I'm a very early riser and don't like the sound of a television mumbling in the background. I have two dogs. My brother and his wife, on the other hand, have been married for over 37 years and are very social people. They like to sleep late and the television is usually on (even though it's not being watched). They like dogs...but not those with a combined weight of 160 pounds.
Their idea was starting to make sense.
It would be nice to have them stay for extended periods without having to "dance" around each other and the additional space would bring in more rental income when the house isn't being used. In exchange for "air rights" they offered to finance my renovations which would help speed things along. As I mentioned before, my plans to make some repairs and changes to my Merida home are delayed due to repairs needed NOB.
Oh, and then there's the pool. They would want a pool. Who am I to complain? They twisted my arm.
The writer of my favorite Merida blog wrote about the strange shapes of properties in Centro. He included what appeared to be a bar graph on LSD... when in fact it was an illustration of the inconsistencies that make up Merida real estate taken from Google maps. As with most homes in Centro, mine is not rectangular...it's more like a trapezoid. I like the quirkiness of my house. Walls slant and taper. The footprint zigs and zags back and forth. The three of us have been talking about how we could configure the upstairs to make it functional and fit with the odd space provided. We're having fun with drawings and dreams but try as we may, it's been very difficult to see how this project is going to be achieved. Fortunately, the architect has more ability and experience than we do. He's from Merida, has worked on many homes in the neighborhood and we like his work so we have faith.
After a few weeks of mulling this over, I've decided it's a good idea. Financial benefits aside, it's very comforting to know that my family loves me enough to want to keep following me.
Our mother would be thrilled to know that her children will be under the same roof again...and playing nice.
Our mother would be thrilled to know that her children will be under the same roof again...and playing nice.
