Animal House

Last night as we were watching TV we saw a tiny mouse scamper around the dining room.  It ran around, checked out Lindsey's computer bag, then fled into the guest room (we hope he liked the new sheet set we bought).

Being city folk, we are trained to view mice as very, very bad.  They are dirty, carry disease and being from the city, they are just as likely to rob you as bite you.  But our country mouse did not really bother us that much.  After the Ladybug attack the night before, we're ready for anything.

We both remained very calm through throughout the entire episode, although Lindsey did arm herself with a small broom to "help shoo him outside."  Once it ducked into the guest room I poked around looking for him but we did not see him again.

The fact that we were able to remain so calm is testament to what the house has done to us. If this happened in the city, we would have called the super and immediately bought $400 in traps, poison and various anti-mouse paraphernalia.

But here we just watched it run around, got up to look for it, then went back to watching TV.  We have a more defined "live and let live" attitude towards nature when we're up at the house.  That being said, I think we're done with uninvited house guests for this weekend.

--Posted by Evan

Invasion of the Ladybugs

Our house has been invaded by Ladybugs.  And we have no idea why.  We feel like Ladybugs are the quintessential summer insect, yet they are here--in force--and it's March 22nd and still very cold.

They love to hang out on the skylight in our bedroom.  Last night as we were going to bed a different Ladybug fell on each of us.  We think it was a coordinated attack.  But they don't bite, so we think they just want attention.

They also seem to love the power cords for our computers:

--Posted by Evan & Lindsey

This Weekend...

Will be our final weekend at the house before our wedding and honeymoon. We are getting married on 4/5/08 and will not be able to visit the house for over a month!

This makes buying the Premium ADT security system (and all of the ribbing I got for doing so) totally worthwhile!

And as much as we love the house, we also love to travel...which is my subtle way of segueing into a pitch. One of my good friends just started an AMAZING new travel company offering trips to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique. Here is the link:

http://www.nativeescapes.com/

Check them out!!!

We'll do one more post from the house this weekend and then we'll be off for a month!

--Posted by Evan

Ga$ and Heating Oil Price$

Being a city dweller for 32 1/2 years before we bought a country home, oil and gas prices really meant nothing to me.  Once in a while prices would go up, the TV news folks would air those "shocked at the pump" pieces featuring angry people complaining about what it takes to fill their tank, and I would happily go put another $25 on my MetroCard (more than enough for a full week of commuting) with a profound sense of urban pride: "I don't need a car!  Gas prices have no bearing on MY life."

Flash forward to today, and things are very different.  We bought the house and a car (a 2007 Toyota RAV4 that we LOVE) within two weeks of each other and our days of not caring about gas and oil prices are over.

It costs us about $50 for a full tank of gas for the car and about $600 to fill our heating oil tank at the house.  It's crazy.  I know I'm a little late in getting to this issue what with the possibility of $4 a tank gas by this summer, but this is just when it hit us.

I really don't have anything else to say, I just felt like complaining.  I'm not sure what can be done to fix this.  My guess is that even with a new administration in Washington next year, prices are still going to rise.  This is an economic issue that will not easily be solved.  As much as it pains me to say this, I think the only solution might be the one advocated by Thomas L. Friedman: a national gas tax.  This will foster energy innovation and help the environment; it will also make Americans and American businesses fundamentally change their habits.  And yes, it will be painful...but maybe a little short-term pain is needed for our long-term stability.

--Posted by Evan

A Wonderful New Connection!

We love writing this blog. In addition to being a great way to keep our family and friends (including one person who reads us from Russia!) informed about what we are doing, it's been a great way for us to maintain a record about our house.

And now we have a new reason to love our blog. The couple who sold the house to the woman who sold it to us found our blog and sent us an email! And so did their daughter! They told us so much about the house and its history in just a few short emails, and we plan to meet in May to learn even more about the house and the community of Sharon.

There is a real sense of history and narrative now connected to the house. And we look forward to adding our own history.

--Posted by Evan & Lindsey

Evan's Spot

We are so happy to be back at the house after a few weeks away. We arrived to a snowstorm last night and are housebound today, still in PJs at 3:15pm and having a perfectly relaxing Saturday. It's still snowing on and off -- gorgeous and peaceful.

I've just woken up from a blissful nap (one of my favorite Sharon activities) and found Evan in his favorite spot: the porch.

Evan loves his comfort, so note the space heater in the corner, set to a tropical 70 degrees. Gladys, the goose lamp from his childhood, sits watching over him, and he is enjoying wi-fi on his laptop, along with his iPhone and Diet Coke nearby. It's Evan Heaven.

After I write this post I might go out there and join him. Or, I might not. Since we live in a pretty small apartment in the city, it's exciting for us to be in separate rooms.

Posted by Lindsey