Make It Happen

Continuing to define the selection criteria for the next "just right" house

There are an awful lot of things I want in my next home:

*Reasonably close to restaurants, bookstores, etc. – but quiet & private; no HOA and not too many screaming children nearby
*Minimum of half an acre lot, so there’s room for me to garden
*Roof, HVAC, major core systems < 5 years old or priced low enough that I can afford to update them
*One level living (minimal to no stairs) – between my sprained ankle and recent surgery, this year has proven to me that if I plan to stay in the next house until I’m very old, I’d better pre-plan and not have stairs that lead to essential functional areas like, oh, the laundry, my bedroom, etc.
*Not So Big that I can’t afford to keep it up properly, or that the upkeep significantly cuts into my travel and fun budget
*Updated – or easily updateable – wiring (enough outlets in every room; high speed internet, etc.)

I’m actually considering developing a weighted evaluation / scoring matrix that I could take to each of the houses I go see, when I start looking in first quarter. If I hate the house, no need to do a sheet – but if I like it, having a checklist / scorecard might help me evaluate each of them more objectively.

See more progress on: buy the right house

On the Road to Recovery

Surgery went well, although it was more extensive than I'd hoped because they couldn't get everything done via laparoscopy.  The cyst was benign, so I'll consider that a big bullet dodged & try not to whine too much about all the rest.   Apparently, the cyst was the size of a large lemon / medium apple - and the only part of my interior that wasn't covered in endometriosis and adhesions was my right fallopian tube.  No wonder, then, that I had all those episodes of excruciating pain.

Now that it's all been removed, once I get over the large incision & six puncture wounds, I should have a lot more energy and stamina - since I won't be dealing with the ongoing low-level pain nor subject to sudden bouts of agony; and the removal of lady bits should decrease my anemia as it will mean no ongoing blood loss.

While I was in the hospital, my hemoglobin got down to a 7 (they normally give you a blood transfusion if it goes below 8.  11.8 to 13 is "normal" range).  Two iron infusions and a shot of Procrit to stimulate red blood cell production has gotten me back up to a 10 - right where I was just before surgery.   

I'm not a particularly fast healer, and I'm not a very patient person.  I don't do "idle" well.  Pushing the grocery buggy last Sunday re-opened three of the incision sites, though, and probably set healing back at least a week.   Trying to bulldoze through sheer effort and force of will doesn't work when it comes to physical recovery processes, apparently.

So I'm resting.  Trying to eat healthy.  Keeping the incision sites clean, dry & protected.  And trying very hard to remember that this is temporary, and I'll be able to get back to my normal levels of production, achievement, experiencing life and exploration in another month or so.