{"id":1498,"date":"2011-06-16T14:47:05","date_gmt":"2011-06-16T18:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=1498"},"modified":"2025-02-26T15:10:56","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T20:10:56","slug":"chapter-45-journey-to-our-townhouse","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=1498","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 45: Journey To Our Townhouse"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>House hunting<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4161\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4161\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4161\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/palladium-250x300.jpg\" alt=\"Palladium Nightclub NYC. Image from guestofaguest.com\" width=\"335\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/palladium-250x300.jpg 250w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/palladium-500x600.jpg 500w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/palladium.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4161\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Palladium Nightclub NYC, where we clubbed with Rich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>A review of our finances and excellent credit history<\/strong> up to that point revealed that we were indeed ripe for the market. We stopped in at a local real estate firm and inquired.<\/p>\n<p>The Fox and Lazo mortgage rep crunched our numbers, and John would apply for a VA Loan from his two-year service with the PA National Guard. Homeownership was actually within our grasp. I\u2019d been speaking with Trish at work about the idea, and she encouraged our taking this step. She was right\u2014<em>why<\/em> wait?<\/p>\n<p>So we took the plunge. We got rolling on the loan, and began looking, armed with a certificate of pre-qualification. The Central New Jersey region was not as expensive then, but it would still prove a challenge for us, with roughly $100K to \u201cspend.\u201d We refused to bite off more than a manageable mouthful, as that could very well deep-six us financially. We were doing this ourselves.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>&#8220;Here We Go&#8221; by Portrait<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375886584881\" class=\"{skin:'black', animate:false, width:'120', volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Here-We-Go-Portrait.mp3\">Portrait &#8211; Here We Go <\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<p>The winter of early 1993 was a blur of our jobs, social life and trekking about in Clara the real estate agent&#8217;s compact scouting for reasonably-priced homes. They were a mix of townhouses that felt like apartments, too-small ranches that needed work, too-far Capes that would make our work commute a hassle, and prewar housing so small that the cramped feeling was overwhelming.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6228\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6228\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-6228\" title=\"John and Rich on our balcony\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/john-rich-balcony-484x600.jpg\" alt=\"John and Rich on our balcony\" width=\"335\" height=\"415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/john-rich-balcony-484x600.jpg 484w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/john-rich-balcony-242x300.jpg 242w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/john-rich-balcony.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6228\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">John and Rich on our balcony<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In late February, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.history.com\/this-day-in-history\/world-trade-center-bombed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">World Trade Center suffered what was presumed a terrorist attack within its underground garage<\/a>, causing loss of life and a nationwide anger. Years later, when the WTC was obliterated in an attack, it was linked to the one in \u201993.<\/p>\n<p>There was a huge snowstorm in March of that year, and we were comfortably snuggled in our apartment, enjoying our usual snow \u201csurvival\u201d rituals.\u00a0These included rented videos, Monopoly, snacks, hot cocoa and \u201cother\u201d pastimes. <em>Here We Go<\/em> by Portrait and <em>93 Till Infinity<\/em> by Souls of Mischief were popular.<\/p>\n<p>By spring the house search and resulting stress had worn thin, and we decided to shelve it for the summer.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>&#8220;93 &#8216;Til Infinity&#8221; by Souls Of Mischief<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375886623747\" class=\"{skin:&#039;black&#039;, animate:false, width:&#039;120&#039;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Souls-of-Mischief-93-til-Infinity.mp3\">Souls of Mischief &#8211; 93 &#8217;til Infinity<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<p>That year, the Fresh Ponds Village complex <strong>FINALLY<\/strong> got wired for cable TV\u2014so long, rabbit ears.\u00a0I remember the day I came home from work that summer, putting dinner in the oven and grabbing the new Storer Cable (now Comcast) remote.\u00a0I flipped through the hundred or so channels available at the time. MTV!\u00a0 Holy cow, what a perk. Party like it&#8217;s 1981.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d enjoyed cable TV in college, and while living at Dad\u2019s house during my engagement (then a Comcast employee, I had a complimentary account with <strong>all<\/strong> channels, Pay-Per-View included).\u00a0Imagine my befuddlement upon moving into our beautiful apartment, but reverting to the 1970s 13-channel standard! Just ludicrous.<\/p>\n<h3>Edmonte&#8217;s Way<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4175\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4175\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4175\" title=\"Carlito's Way Poster\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/carlitos-way-poster.jpg\" alt=\"Carlito's Way Poster\" width=\"335\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/carlitos-way-poster.jpg 420w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/carlitos-way-poster-211x300.jpg 211w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4175\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlito&#8217;s Way Poster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That year, my cousin Edmund (Edmonte) was in a major motion picture with Al Pacino and Sean Penn; <em><a title=\"Carlito&#039;s Way movie trailer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0yehgqPtG3Y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carlito&#8217;s Way <\/a><\/em>(briefly visible at 2:26 in the trailer). He had a modest gangster part, but the character was all him.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone enjoyed when Aunt Gerri brought her homemade macaroni, meatballs and gravy to the crew on the set.<\/p>\n<p>Trivia: Sean Penn got wise with Edmund at one point during filming, and was threatened in no uncertain terms with being stuffed bodily into a nearby garbage can (but not quite as politely).<\/p>\n<p>He was cast in additional movies, including <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4EOprxCoBFA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">One Tough Cop<\/a><\/em>\u00a0(1998) with Billy Baldwin. They did okay at the box office. He has done quite fine for himself, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0759336\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">with a respectable resume on IMDb<\/a>.\u00a0My favorite movie line of Edmund&#8217;s: <em>Sometimes, life just kicks ya in de ass.<\/em> Well said.<\/p>\n<p>There was no doubting that he was typecast, since he fit these parts so well. Unfortunately, Cousin Edmund passed on suddenly in October 2023. It was a huge shock to the family.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4177\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4177\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4177\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/edmund-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Edmonte Salvato\" width=\"335\" height=\"251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/edmund-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/edmund.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4177\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">AKA Joe Battaglia (&#8220;Big Guy&#8221;)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>All through the summer, we kept the house search on the back burner, checking listings in the paper just to keep informed of our local market. I remember one townhouse in the Dayton Square listing, and we called to see if we could stop by.<\/p>\n<p>It was very nice, priced at $119K (above our self-imposed ceiling). The seller refused to work with Realtors, so we really couldn&#8217;t proceed anyway.\u00a0I liked that townhouse a lot, but it was not to be. (Nearly two decades later, those units are listing around $325K. Astounding.)<\/p>\n<p>By Fall, the house search bug had bitten us again, and we called Clara. I also decided to get a hamster, and named it Harry.<\/p>\n<h3>The Perfect\u00a0Starter Home<\/h3>\n<p>One day, Clara showed us a Dayton Square townhouse of a different layout from the one we\u2019d seen, but this one was priced right.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6230\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6230\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6230\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/thomas-abram-strip-263x600.jpg\" alt=\"Norm Abram and Steve Thomas\" width=\"335\" height=\"762\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6230\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We met Norm Abram and Steve Thomas at a Home Show at the Expo Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It also had a large, new kitchen, full finished basement with a wet bar, and 2 bedrooms with a loft and loads of closet space.<\/p>\n<p>These townhouses were also \u201cduplexes\u201d, each sharing only one wall and felt more like regular houses.<\/p>\n<p>We knew it was \u201ca lot of house\u201d for the money, considering the shacks we\u2019d seen in our price range, and decided we really liked it.<\/p>\n<p>We brought Dad by to see it, and his take was favorable.\u00a0With a few thousand we\u2019d saved in the bank (mostly wedding gifts), we had earnest money and closing costs covered.\u00a0We signed the full-price offer with Clara at our apartment and waited.<\/p>\n<p>After some go-arounds with the sellers\u2019 agent regarding our \u201csmall\u201d cache of funds, they realized this was a good solid offer with financing behind us and we meant business.<\/p>\n<p>They signed the acceptance and the wheels were in motion for us to purchase our first house!<\/p>\n<p>On a funny side-note, one day we arrived home to find \u201cHarry\u201d nesting with six or seven little Harries!\u00a0So while Harry was setting up housekeeping to allow for the new litter, we were dismantling <em><strong>our<\/strong> <\/em>nest.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>&#8220;Be Happy&#8221; by Mary J. Blige<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375886644275\" class=\"{skin:&#039;black&#039;, animate:false, width:&#039;120&#039;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Mary-J.-Blige-Be-Happy.mp3\">Mary J. Blige &#8211; Be Happy<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-13348\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/harry-strip-383x600-1.jpg\" alt=\"Harry\" width=\"330\" height=\"517\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/harry-strip-383x600-1.jpg 383w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/harry-strip-383x600-1-192x300.jpg 192w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/>We brought boxes home from work, and started packing as early as October, for a December closing of escrow.<\/p>\n<p>Our family and friends were excited for us as we took the \u201cnext step\u201d in life.<\/p>\n<p>We went to WVU Homecoming the weekend after we signed the offer, dreaming of the pretty townhouse that would soon be ours.\u00a0John handled calls to the attorney and Clara from our hotel room in Morgantown.<\/p>\n<p>I dealt with the landlord regarding breaking the lease, and it was a headache but I was persistent. I wrote letters and exchanged all sorts of documentation, and assured them that the apartment remained in excellent shape for the next tenants.\u00a0We also took care of inspection and other formalities.<\/p>\n<p>Though stressful at times, John and I had planning and financing a wedding entirely ourselves to our credit, so we knew we could handle this.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10468\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10468\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10468\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/dad-nana-sisters.jpg\" alt=\"L-R Sunt Dee Dee, Dad, Aunt Marietta, Nana\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/dad-nana-sisters.jpg 720w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/dad-nana-sisters-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/dad-nana-sisters-600x450.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10468\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">L-R Aunt Dee Dee, Dad, Aunt Marietta, Nana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5541\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5541\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5541\" title=\"Nana, Aunt Marietta and Dad\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/AuntM-Nana-Dad-407x600.jpg\" alt=\"Nana, Aunt Marietta and Dad\" width=\"600\" height=\"883\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/AuntM-Nana-Dad-407x600.jpg 407w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/AuntM-Nana-Dad-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/AuntM-Nana-Dad.jpg 738w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5541\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nana, Aunt Marietta and Dad in happier times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 1.3em;\">Farewell to our Nana<\/h3>\n<p>I turned 27 in November, and the week of Thanksgiving brought sadness. Nana passed away, after a couple of years in a nursing home, and we\u2019d visited her often.<\/p>\n<p>One day, John and I went with Dad to visit Nana at the facility. We found her bed empty, and asked the staff where she was. I&#8217;ll never forget the nurse&#8217;s reply: &#8220;She expired.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>Expired!<\/em>? Nice way to break it to the family. It must have just happened before we got there.\u00a0Nana had been an elderly 88, but the news slammed our family nonetheless. She had been such an intricate part of our lives; it was such an empty feeling knowing she wasn&#8217;t with us anymore.<\/p>\n<p>I tried to be of support to Dad, whose grief was awful. Nana&#8217;s school-aged great-grandchildren were there and I felt bad for them. It is fortunate that they had known their great-grandmother.\u00a0I took Monday through Wednesday off for the formalities, and a subdued Thanksgiving holiday followed.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 1.3em;\">Closing and Moving Day<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12095\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12095\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12095\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/movingday1-194x300.png\" alt=\"Getting things ready for transit at the apartment. Thank you Anne and friends for the help!\" width=\"335\" height=\"519\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/movingday1-194x300.png 194w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/movingday1-388x600.png 388w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/movingday1.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12095\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Getting things ready for transit at the apartment. Thank you Anne and friends for the help!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Thursday, December 16 was gray and chilly. We took off from work and signed countless papers at the office of our attorney, Mr. Shamy.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier that afternoon, before the closing formalities, I&#8217;d dedicated a song to John on the radio, Paul McCartney&#8217;s <em>Wonderful Christmastime<\/em>.\u00a0He caught it in the car on the way to the attorney&#8217;s office and I recorded the dedication.<\/p>\n<p>Afterward, Clara handed over the keys, along with a potted rubber plant as a housewarming gift, and sent us on our way with good wishes following a very smooth transaction. That night we moved the Christmas tree and decorations, our boom box, a bottle of champagne, and a roll of TP. We gleefully found another bottle chilling in the fridge, with a nice note from the sellers, the Kramers.<\/p>\n<p>Our 7\u00bd year residence there began with a twinkling Christmas tree in the window, a bubbly toast, and music as we lay on the carpeted floor, with precious little else in the place.\u00a0We were psyched, but we also realized the significance of a real estate transaction, and the commitment it entails \u2026 and we were up for it.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>&#8220;Betcha&#8217;ll Never Find&#8221; by Chantay Savage<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375886684230\" class=\"{skin:&#039;black&#039;, animate:false, width:&#039;120&#039;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Chantay-Savage-Betchall-Never-Find.mp3\">Chantay Savage &#8211; Betcha&#8217;ll Never Find<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10895\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10895\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10895\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/david-court.jpg\" alt=\"Our first purchased home\" width=\"700\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/david-court.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/david-court-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/david-court-768x468.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/david-court-600x365.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10895\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Our first purchased home<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-14184 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/david-ct-rear.png\" alt=\"House rear\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/david-ct-rear.png 1024w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/david-ct-rear-335x188.png 335w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/david-ct-rear-600x338.png 600w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/david-ct-rear-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Back to the apartment that night, we awoke the next day and went to work as usual, our minds brimming with an endless to-do list awaiting us.\u00a0We ran home after work that evening to begin the moving process, and friends started arriving to help schlep our things the half-mile or so up the road.<\/p>\n<p>The next morning, John&#8217;s colleagues brought the large van from work, and friends used their pick-ups and cars. John went out for bagels, and we all set to work again.\u00a0I packed several loads of breakables in my car, trusty Dino the \u201984 Laser XE. That hatchback had come in handy for college and beyond, and was again called to service.\u00a0Between the apartment and the house, I cleaned like a nut.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12101\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12101\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12101\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/mo-rich-movingday-335x235.png\" alt=\"Mo and Rich\" width=\"700\" height=\"492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/mo-rich-movingday-335x235.png 335w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/mo-rich-movingday-600x422.png 600w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/mo-rich-movingday-768x540.png 768w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/mo-rich-movingday.png 982w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12101\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mo and Rich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We provided food and drinks for our helpers, and persisted well into the evening. We slept in our new bedroom on Saturday night, and I had the bizarre sensation of crashing in \u201csomeone else\u2019s house.\u201d Among the disarray, it was a strange but wonderful feeling.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-12097\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/movingday3-184x300.png\" alt=\"Me in our new kitchen\" width=\"345\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/movingday3-184x300.png 184w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/movingday3-368x600.png 368w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/movingday3.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\" \/>We closed the apartment for the final time a few days later. We gave it the once-over to make sure everything was clean.\u00a0Then, we stood by the sliding glass doors, gazing out toward the pond.<\/p>\n<p>This was no longer our home, where we started our married life with such joy and anticipation. Though the walls and floors now stood empty, our recollection of our first apartment would always include all the smiles and fun times there.\u00a0There would soon be new tenants who would fill it with their own memories.<\/p>\n<p>It was bittersweet to close the door, and turn in the keys.\u00a0Making memories in our new home awaited us.<\/p>\n<h3>A Townhouse Christmas<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6012\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6012\" style=\"width: 705px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6012 \" title=\"A Townhouse Christmas\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/christmas-townhouse-mefloor-600x483.jpg\" alt=\"A Townhouse Christmas\" width=\"705\" height=\"533\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6012\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christmas in our new &#8220;present&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We celebrated Christmas a little over a week later, serving a full turkey dinner and having Dad and my brother over. It was a joyous holiday, in our new house, with presents under the tree and delicious food. The house was fully decorated, and John even got lights on the outside, as both our dads always had.<\/p>\n<p>Dad gave us a new doorbell and dead bolt for the front door for Christmas, the latter of which he installed that evening. The doorbell would be installed in the spring.\u00a0We also watched some home movies and enjoyed the entire day.<\/p>\n<p>Just days later, we flew down to Florida to visit John\u2019s parents at their condo for a few days. We rang in 1994 as new homeowners!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"Chapter 46: Endless Winter of &#039;94\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=1505\">Chapter 46: Endless Winter of &#8217;94<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13050\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/drum-avatar-thumbnail-sm.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/> <a title=\"Return to Memoirs\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=13681\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Return to Chapters<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>House hunting A review of our finances and excellent credit history up to that point revealed that we were indeed ripe for the market. We stopped in at a local real estate firm and inquired. The Fox and Lazo mortgage rep crunched our numbers, and John would apply for a VA Loan from his two-year &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=1498\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Chapter 45: Journey To Our Townhouse&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14188,"parent":4,"menu_order":46,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1498","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1498"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17178,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1498\/revisions\/17178"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}