So time to put them down here - again.
The house, this basement in which I live. It doesn't do the house justice, well not all of it.
That's the house, we bought it in 2003. Since moving in we have installed a new steam heating system, storm windows, electrical system, re-done a bit of the plumbing.. some other stuff. There is a lot to do.
After dad died I moved into the basement. There are sort of 2 basements. One side is finished, have a TV room and an excersize room complete with a full scale ping pong table, treadmill, total gym, and ergometer (coming soon). The unfinished side used to house dad's metal shop (2 lathes, milling machine, shaper, power hacksaw, and shit load of tools), and his office/laundry room.
I now sleep in the former office, the laundry machines went upstairs to a room off the kitchen. So my bedroom has some benches, a couple old chairs, my queensize bed, and a wardrobe. As well as pictures covering all 4 walls almost completely.
What I don't have is a kitchen. I also have concrete floors. So it is my intention to turn the now empty larger room into a sort of full kitchen/dining room thing. I want to frame off the concrete walls with 2x4s and blueboard with wall paper or painted plaster. I'll frame off walls around the boiler/water heater with a door. I want nice mop boards around the floor area and maybe that molding at chair hight round the walls with white paint below and wall paper up top.
There is a chimney off that room where the boilers used to feed. I think I'll run ductwork out so I can run a wood or pellet stove out of the room. I want old school steel cabinets made in Youngstown. I want a double oven if I can get one, or an ancient Glenwood style stove:
I'm not sure yet. If I do all that then I have a full 1100sq ft apt to live in down here that is complete.
That said there is a chance that we could sell this house and get a duplex, or I could even at some point be investing in a triple decker and mom would get herself a nice cape or bungelo style house.
I never want to leave this house, but its not practical for 2 people, especially as mom is basically all alone in the main house. Its just.. not practical. Dad was never supposed to die at 59, they were supposed to grow old here.
The Erg is something I am greatly looking forward to. I have fond memories of pulling in the basement on Morningside rd, listening to Rage under the 40w light bulb that hung from a wire, next to the boiler and coal stove =p It'll be like old days again.
Except of course that the erg will be in a finished room.
As to life, I don't know what path I'm on right now. I gotta sort out my health, and my body, before I can do much else.
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