I am going to let you in on a little secret. It is time for me to come clean and just admit it. I love my house, but I am not faithful. I cheat. Often. Often, as in several times a day... It started innocently, but has gotten out of control. Most other houses are just given an admiring glance, and not a second thought. Sadly, others get a full-on, neck wrenching double take, complete with drool running down the chin. I can't help it. I have tried to stop, but it has been going on for years! Even worse...there are a few I can't get out of my head! It could have been years ago when I first laid eyes on it, but there are nights I wake up in a cold sweat thinking about the pitch of a roof, or the slope of the lawn. These are a few that have stuck with me. Maybe now they will stop haunting me...
Once, while hiding out in Sante Fe, I would have given a certain body part to live in this adobe hacienda style home that sat on a hill overlooking the city. There was a long, winding dirt driveway, curved vigas in the ceiling, terra cotta floors, and the views...wow. An absolutely serene little clay fortress. I dreamed I could read Don Miguel Ruiz all day by the pool, then head to town for dinner and drinks in the evening. That could have been my own little piece of holistic heaven...but alas, it was not meant to be. She needed more than I could give her, so we parted ways. I still think of her fondly... and wonder if things could have different.
Then, there is that cabin in Big Sky, Montana nestled in the woods, miles away from everyone. It was
incredibly private, with tons of gigantic windows, trees EVERYWHERE and that fireplace... I swear I could stand up inside the opening of the fireplace! To say there were roaring fires is an understatement.... my inner pyromaniac was in heaven! There is nothing, NOTHING, like the smell of a new cabin...fresh cut Christmas trees can't touch it. If only winter didn't exist, I would be there. I don't do winter. Well, that and the fact that it cost about two million dollars more than what was in my bank account at that time. I was lucky enough to spend a few days here. I swear I woke one morning to a baby moose and his mom feeding in the front yard... Our dog Ralph would never have approved of this, but what a breathtaking way to start the day. I will never forget this one.
I confess there was a brief interlude at an Open House with that walkup apartment in New York on the upper East Side. She had those wonderful hardwood floors, floor to ceiling windows, and was just a short walk to Central Park. I
so could have lived there.... running down to 5th Avenue to pick up a few things, then a little theatre in the evening, followed by drinks with friends in Chelsea. Yea, that would have been the life. If only I had been born rich instead of devastatingly handsome. :)
Something is becoming a theme here, isn't it?
During a rainy weekend in San Francisco, I fell in love with a Painted Lady. She was stunning, but I am pretty sure she was a too high maintenance for it to have stood the test of time. But her tiled roof, those bay windows that overlooked the water, and huge rooftop deck...we could have really had something that was truly special. Too bad she came with way too much baggage. The realities of a jumbo mortgage and astronomic property tax bills had to spoil something that was destined to be a perfect pairing. I think of her every time someone mentions San Francisco....
The 'one' I stumbled upon by accident. I wasn't expecting to find her. We met over dinner in my
favorite spot in the world, Whidbey Island, Washington. That wonderful waterfront grey-blue contemporary, with the deck that overlooked the Puget Sound...THAT was the house! I saw gray whales playing in the water off this deck, walked down to the beach for late night bonfires, and those huge rooms... the party I could have thrown there! I LOVED that house. Simple, classic, and functional. Too bad it belonged to someone whose name signed my paycheck instead of me. We shared a moment, that house and I... boy, did we. Ours would sadly only be an affair. Some would say that a fling between a 'housesitter' and the house never works. But for a few stolen weeks, you were mine. You will always be special, Langley Loon.
It feels good to get that out. I wish I could say I feel ten pounds lighter, but unfortunately, I don't.
I am a stand up guy. I want to clear. I have been open and honest with my current house. It is no secret that I openly lust after others. Yes, there are parts of this one that still excite me, but some things just aren't working anymore. We could use another bedroom or two, another bath, and huge finished basement playroom would be nice...oh, and a three car garage! A large flat yard to help contain these four little hoodlums would be great too. This house knows we will part someday soon. I have promised her I would find a nice new family to take our place. And truth be told, they will be lucky to have her.
