I love the fact that the water is soft, cool, fresh, and clean (not hard, bitter, chlorine-y and dry.) I love the crickets that lull us to sleep each night. I love the space inside the house, where one can find peace in a large, quiet room by themself, or join a group of contented, sleepy cats. I love the light dappled across the back lawn in the afternoon. I love the sound of the kids in the church daycare program drifting across the street. I love the smell of history in the rooms of this house. I love the peeling paint on the windows, because the house is reminding me that it’s alive too, and it needs my help. I love the trees towering over the roof, keeping us cool in the summer sun. I love the wooden floors that don’t creak under us. I love the waves in the plaster from where the workmen applied it by hand eighty years ago. I love the drawings on the walls, hidden under the wallpaper, from children of long ago. I love our two-tub sink in the kitchen. I also love having three hose spigots outside.

I don’t love the fact that the average monthly energy bill for the house was $280, according to BG&E. It could be several things that have run the price up—excessive use of the heating system during the winter (and heating all those empty rooms couldn’t have been cost-efficient), excessive use of the 20-year-old air conditioners, use of an ancient electric oven/range, or just having left the lights on all the time. Whatever the cause, Jen and I are going to become experts on energy efficiency this fall.

The update is that roughly 90% of the bill is for gas and the balance is for electric. We have to find out what drove the price up so high and make some improvements to save money. Ah, the joys of buying an older house.

Even better is the news that Verizon won’t have out DSL hooked up until the 17th, because of a “shortage of technicians”. Thanks. Dammit.

Found this afternoon, via the Rockhaus: Genuine Scooters, home of the Stella. Oh, man, this is cool. Even better are these pictures of a trip two friends took in 1953. Given my love for the design of old Vespa and Piaggio scooters, these are a sweet update on a classic ride. Maybe someday I can afford one.