Say Goodbye to Normandy Park

The contracts are signed. The ink has dried. The financing is clicking into place like tumblers in a lock. The 1031's have passed each other and waved. The recording numbers have just been filed. The keys have been handed over. It's all over but the shouting.

Time to say goodbye to Normandy Park.

We've sold the house (or actually, to be absolutely correct in the eyes of the city, the two condo's) where we've lived for the past seven years. We've moved out, taken our belongings, and left the shell. For weeks, it has not been our home. In fact, it hasn't felt like it since the big furniture was moved out and you couldn't walk in any room without it echoing. I've been going back the last few weeks to take some left-over items and sweep a dust-bunny or two, and, whenever I've taken him, Smokey has refused to go into the house. Oh, he'll gladly go for a walk in the next-door park that he's walked every day since he was a pup. Anything else, he'd just as soon stay in the car. Interesting, the psychology of dogs.

But, me, I have to linger a moment longer. This was the first house I ever bought. This was the first time I was ever a land-lord (though I preferred to use the term "land-baron"), a role and responsibility I took very seriously and grew to enjoy. It was also the first time I've ever been a part of a homeowner's association (and hopefully, the last, as I have the pleasure of resigning from the Board after I finish this). This is the house that we brought Smokey home to. The house Katheryn and I came home to after we got married (which is a story in itself). It's housed visitors and relatives in times of celebration and grief and five families of tenants and kept them safe and warm. And in return, we spent a lot of time and money improving the house and grounds, and making it "ours." We took care of it and it took care of us. Symbiosis.


Now, it's someone else's.

And we get on with the task of improving the cabin, and making it functional. The hot water heater's out. Life goes on. Fu's found a nice big patch of sunlight on the couch to sleep in. Smokey just came in from outside.

He's home.