I just need to write. Those long, rambling posts are forming a blockage. So here's what's been shaking.
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We've been bitten by the house bug. Low- to moderate-income DC residents can get a no- or low-interest, 5-year deferred loan of around $40,000 (in our case) for down payment assistance (plus $4,000 for closing costs). The rent, like the man says, is too damn high, so we might as well be spending that $24,000 a year on something that's an actual house and not just a half-cave. We very much want to stay in the District; we're looking at the Capitol Hill neighborhood and thinking of next summer as when we will get really serious about it. Does the thought of a $500,000 house scare me? Yes. But the thought of having something that is mine-all-mine is alluring.
I'm still getting used to the fact that I live in a very expensive city, where your $500,000 house will be in an "okay" neighborhood and have, maximum, 3 bedrooms and maybe 1,800 square feet, and $36,000/year is "very low income" for a single person.
This doesn't mean I don't still think homeownership is overrated. You're just renting from the bank.
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I made awesome cilatro pesto last night. About 5 cups (unpacked, by weight 3 oz.) cilantro, two green chiles, 1/2 cup olive oil (it makes a lot, trust me, and the oil will keep it good in the fridge for around 2 weeks), and salt to taste. It would be good on pretty much anything - we had it on flautas and I'm looking forward to having it on eggs.
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The Bee had a fever the past two days. I think it's molar-related; she had a fever when the bulk of the one on the bottom right came in. It's a lot of tooth to have jammed through your gums. She was a little clingy/cranky, but improved greatly today.
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The tornadoes missed us last night. We're still under a tornado watch, until 3PM today. Thunderstorms and lightning, very very awesome! In the old-fashioned sense of the word. At least we have a nice windowless, half-subterranean room to hide in if necessary.
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We're going to the Nationals v. Giants game on Saturday. Our first ballgame outing went so well - and that was a night game - that I am not even anxious. This one is at 4:00, so it should be even better.
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I ordered and received a bunch of clothes from REI and could not be more pleased. I decided to bite the bullet and invest more in nicer, more ethically produced clothing that will last for years instead of months. Hopefully. That, and the CSA we joined, are perfect examples of how you can actually spend less once you actually have more money. It's cheaper to be well-off than it is to be poor. Not fair. It's called the Boots Theory of Socioeconomics and apparently comes from a character in a sci-fi series.
