Monday, August 23, 2010
THE GRAND TOUR
When we sold the house, I offered to walk through it with the new owner and show him "the ropes".
The hidden switches, the inside dope on the plants and trees, the neighbors, the vendors that serve the property.
So today, he called and I answered. I went over and did the grand tour with him.
He is the same age as we are. He had a bigger home. Three times as big. In Florida.
So he knows about heat.
He has two dogs.
His furniture had not yet arrived and the house was a bit of a mess. I overlooked that.
There had already been some damage from his not being around for a month. The fountain was not working but that is because he had pulled the plug. I think that he may be taking it out. Goodbye birds. My lime tree in back was dried out as was the new hibiscus we put in the front not three months ago. Lack of extra watering I think.
He has uncoiled all the hoses and let them lie out of their tight coils in their pottery hose containers. He has a box of dog food out there for the dogs to eat continuously.
OK. I am a hard case. I got the fountain running whether he wanted it to run or not. I fussed with the lime tree sprinkler. I did not put the hoses back the way that they are "supposed to go".
I realized that I was freaking out about something that wasn't mine any more and stopped.
I started the tour.
It went well. I told him about stuff I had thought of. He had some questions.
It took an hour.
He is the kind of guy who sort of knows the answers so I didn't have to explain much. I mean this in mostly a good way.
The stuff that I felt sensitive about he took without any adverse comment. The bad drain in the back yard, the spa controls.
He told me some of the things that he planned to do. I told him to quit telling me.
He has already bought a new stove. Black. Good. He is going to paint the kitchen cupboards red.
I told him that was enough. I didn't want to hear a lot of his plans. He understood.
At the end, I kind of liked him. I gave him my card. He said that he would ask us back when he was done with his painting and shit.
A good ending which none of us really meant. No calls, no visits. Good luck.
I am moderately pleased or as pleased as I could be with him as the owner of our old home. Now I am done with it.
I had a bit of a lump in my throat as I said goodbye. I knew that this was goodbye.
