An Important Day

Recently I learned that when one of my good friends is talking to other people and refers to me, he calls me "Sarah Dill-his grown-up friend." I'm not quite sure why he labels me that way, but today, I think I did take a step forward towards adulthood. Today I became a homeowner for the first time.

After a good bit of deliberation and fickleness, I decided to buy this cute, 1930s home here in Rochester. It is 3 blocks from work, which solves the never-ending saga of parking at Mayo for me. It is small enough to be cozy, but big enough for several people to live there and lots of room to host others. I can't tell you how excited I am to have a place to welcome others. It's got a big back yard with an old shade tree. There are lots of built-ins and character accents which just add to the charm. The upstairs is a loft bedroom with a built-in office with desk and bookshelves. And today when I investigated under the carpet that covers the two bedrooms downstairs, the living room, and the hall, I discovered beautiful hardwood floors in really good shape.

This house is no Southern Living Home of the Year quite yet--it is going to take a lot of work. So, I'm putting on my Martha Stewart hat and learning the ins-and-outs of home improvement. Here's a sneak preview of some of the ugly wallpaper that just had to come down--

The whole house is going to be repainted to get rid of the disturbing pastel pinks and purples, the floors redone, and various other updates and improvements are battling it out in my head for who goes first. So this is a shameless call for help, advice, manpower, tools, etc. I promise a steady stream of music, lemonade, and good company if you should choose to help out with the cause.

Other than the hardwood floors, I also had another surprise. Apparently the guy who owned it before me forgot to tell his renters that he was selling the house right now. They didn't know till yesterday. So....I have renters for a week or two while they scramble for another place to live.
It's always an adventure.