Odds and Ends

Workout Success
The success with the workouts continues. In both training sessions last week, I did things six months ago I would not have been able to do.

With Shawn, I’m noticing that I’m able to lift more weight and do more reps at a higher weight. The same if true with my sessions with Ed. I was also able to do 10 chin ups in a row without stopping. Also doing much better on the hand stands. Ed also said that in general I move much better than I’ve ever done. I have a much better sense of balance. I also notice that if I just do an exercise instead of thinking about I end up doing it much better completing it.

So training continues to go well.

How late are you open?
That sounds like a fairly easy question to answer. When I got the call from the vet to bring in Sam as soon as possible, I left work early and went home. I got home around 3:30. I was concerned that the vet might close at 5. Finding a parking place around DuPont Circle can be a challenge especially around rush hour. I decided to find out when they closed.

So I gave them a call. This should have been a quick conversation but well it wasn’t. The guy who answered asked if I was coming in to buy something or for an appointment. I said I was dropping off my cat as I was told to do by the vet. Oh and what was I dropping the cat off for. I couldn’t come up with “hydration” quickly enough. The guy puts me on hold. I believe he talked to the vet.

He comes back on the phone and says the sooner I can get Sam in the better. I’m thinking that would be accomplished much quicker if you could answer my question. So again I ask how later they are open. He says well the vet is in until late; their last appointment is around 7:20. Finally, I stop this guys babbling and say I just need to know if you guys close at 5 or are open until 8. I think at this point he finally go the point of what I was asking. He gave a little laugh and said at 8. I said thanks and I’d be right over. I wanted to say too bad you couldn’t have told me this like 10 minutes earlier because I could have been over that much quicker.

Open Houses
I still like to go to open houses on Sundays. It's a great way to get out of the house and to go for a nice walk. It's also fun to see what houses are going for.

This past Sunday I went and saw two houses. One was $369,000 the other was $325,000.

The more expensive one is described as charming 3 bedroom, 2 bath and hardwood floors. Charming? No there was nothing charming about this house at all. It was a complete and total dump. The second bath was in the basement. When I say basement I mean the old fashioned sense of the word. Completely unfinished. It was one large room. And the bathroom. Well in the one large room was a toilet, a sink, and a shower stall. That was the second bathroom. Kitchen was not very big with little or no counter space at all. The bedrooms were small. It had an attic as well. It had window unit air conditioners. Easily you'd have to spend another 50 grand to get thing into shape.

The less expensive one was fantastic. Now it is a little further away from the center of Brookland which is something to take into consideration. I'm not sure how easy it would be to walk to the Metro but you could take a bus. Now it only had two bedrooms and one bath. In the kitchen band new appliances. It was a little small. Central air. A nice unfinished basement that pretty easily could be converted into another room. Two very nice bedrooms. It has a fairly large yard with space in back to park two cars. Very nice place.

This just proves the age old real estate adage of location location location. But here's my adage a dump is still a dump no matter where it is.