A modern version of Tom Sawyer and whitewashing the fence. Nicely done!
Um. I think I'll neglect to share this comment with her.
But she'd agree that she's willing to do the work for something that's important to her.
Congratulations, Nords! I am glad that you and your DW have come to an understanding about the rental, that is completely satisfactory to both. I think that any of us who have ever been married can appreciate what a fulfilling accomplishment it is to work out a difficult solution like that and move on with one mind about it.
I'm very impressed how you two had very frank and productive discussions and came to a solution you can both live with, rather easily it seems.
Our common Navy background helps a lot. We're comfortable at turning over the duty, especially as we get older. We've also inherited too many bag jobs from our ancestors, and we're not going to do that to each other (or to our daughter & son-in-law).
Money is supposed to give us choices. We can't leave a property standing empty, yet we're not going to run a charity shelter. In any case I don't want to live with the burden of caring for it. I especially dislike the stress of repairing plumbing or other problems while everyone's waiting for an update. Maybe a property manager (and their handyman) would ease that stress.
Really nice. This is kind of what I want to do too. Get rid of the island (or peninsula) and open up a wall with a bar counter. Dump the nook.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Seek professional help! I was shocked at how much framing surrounds the "simple" hole in that wall, and at how much electrical wiring had to be re-routed. At least the photo album gives you a template to copy.
I not sure if Mrs Nords meant if you actually died in the house or if she meant once you were gone she didn't want to live there alone.
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Perhaps it's just that Mrs N wants to keep her options open if she becomes a widow and a lack of options would make her uneasy. I certainly understand that viewpoint, but being one block away from a shopping center would be a deal breaker for me. It sounds right now you both are happy with the solution you worked out.
When I'm dead (wherever it happens, preferably in the surf) she doesn't want to be in a house surrounded by memories of me.
Of course we've created plenty more memories together in that rental when we lived in it from 1989-2000. We could discuss that paradox, yet I suspect its logic has little relevance (let alone recency) when compared to the emotional burden.
I agree with you that the shopping center's noise outweighs its convenient proximity. I didn't appreciate that until I spent nearly 10 weeks working near it.
