That Was Fast

I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve already. Today, actually, if you count the day as starting at midnight, which has passed. It doesn't, of course. The day starts not when the little hand meets the twelve but when I wake up in the morning. Anyway, I feel terrifically unprepared, but I always do, and it always works out. I'm mostly just verging on overwhelmed now. We both are. But we got each other's back. We're pulling through.

The main distraction -- life for me is mainly an endless series of distractions -- is that a suitable rental will be very hard to find. There are no houses for this many people in the city. I know, that sounds wrong, cities are full of big houses. But no, the rental market is slim, and always has been, unless you're willing to live way out in Elk Grove or Natomas or West Sac, and while those could be okay, I have other factors to consider.

1) The house we've been renting the past year suits us very well for its location and unusual layout, in particular the small upstairs that has just the master suite and an office. The stairs and distance serve as an effective deterrent against children looking for solutions to their problems. Any other house would bring every squabble to our door.

2) I took this family under my wing while falling madly in love with the mother thereof, moved us all into this house, and will continue to live with them for some time yet regardless of other factors.

3) If we're paying rent anyway I'd rather it went either into equity or was tax deductible. I am in sore need of tax deductions.

4) This is the third straight Christmas where moving her family from one house to another has been a factor. Kids are sensitive to that, especially if they also have divorcing parents and different schools to deal with. Enough. Stability is called for.

So I'm looking at buying the place. I have investments in Amgen and Google and Intel, why not in my principle residence. I'm more comfortable owning a home than renting one anyway. And the market remains flat while interest rates are low, so it's a good time to buy. My only real problem is that much of the down payment, when I move it from this point to that, will be subject to income tax, meaning a whole bunch of dollars will get tossed at the G-men where it does no one, or certainly not me, any discernible good. My other only real problem is the panicky sense that I'll have to liquidate so much investment I'll end up basically with nothing but a house and my 401(k), and this was not my plan. My plan at this stage was to find hot investments and watch them grow (some have, some haven't) while transitioning into a calm and comfortable retirement. But there have been forces at work to pull me into a much higher purpose than that rather self-indulgent one, and I find that letting go of worry and monetary concern and embracing the opportunities that have come to meet me feels more rewarding ... theoretically ... time will tell ... but I never really wanted to be a solitary bean counter. That was my father's gig ... and that is why I have the beans. I shan't forget that, but there are more ways than one to honor memory.

Much more to say, about my former marriage, and a celebrity psychic, and becoming an amateur sleuth, but all that can wait as it is the middle of the night and I have a terrible code.