Home Sweet Home: Part 1

I figured I’d write today about my condo. Then, two things happened that told me I made the right decision.

First, I was alerted about one of the residents becoming upset again about the wall which is to go up between our property and the next. This wall was approved by a majority of the condo owners at our annual meeting in January, and the resident’s displeasure was noted, discussed at length, and recorded as a nay vote. Today, when the contractor came to mark the wall’s location (I was told), the resident noticed him there and expressed her displeasure again. It appears that this issue will not rest, and, without going into detail, I’m guessing that we won’t be such a happy little community as when I moved in.

Second, I was watering the plants on my veranda, and a police car parked in the driveway, blocking access between the street and our parking lot. The officer got out and walked slowly into our parking lot. Then, he was joined by an officer who had parked at the business next door. They both walked to the back of our complex. Both saw me on my veranda, but neither one spoke to me (not like I had seen or heard anything anyway). As I finished up and coiled my hose, they left.

This brings to mind one of the things a neighbor told me the day I met her, shortly after I moved in. "This is a nice, quiet neighborhood." That night, I heard police sirens three separate times. The way I figure it, we do live in a quiet neighborhood. It’s just that the ones around us are noisy.

My condominium association is small, just eight units. Only three are occupied full-time. One is occupied part-time. Two are available for rent, and two are owned by people with primary residences in other states. That means I know quite easily who is home and who is not. I’m no Gladys Kravitz, but I can’t help it, seeing as how my unit faces the parking lot.

Six of the units used to be part of a bed and breakfast, still located next door. Two are in a small building out back. In 2000, our units were turned into condos and sold. The main building (including my unit) dates back to 1901, when it was a farmhouse. I’m not sure what the building was used for in between the farm residence and the B&B. I intend to visit the Rio Grande Historical Collections at the university and see if I can piece together a history of the building. I thought it would be nice if I could hand out the story of our home to the other condo owners at our next annual meeting. (Plus, it will give me an outlet; I’ve been itching to write something lately.)

I plan to write more about my home in future postings. Finding this place, the plumbing, the electricity, the paint colors, and even trying to get the newspaper carrier to deliver are all sure to be included. Plus, I’ll probably think of a lot more things to say as I type.