My house sold at the end of May, almost five years to the day since I bought it. That is a long flip, my friends, and I am happy to say that although I bought out of desperation near the height of the bubble and I sold somewhere around the lowish market, I managed to eek out a very small profit. My hourly wage during those five years probably hovered around the pennies, but at least I didn't lose money, right? Now here is the funny part. Three people moved into the house, a couple and a widower. (That isn't funny, don't laugh yet) They are dropping quite a bit of coin to convert the house back to a duplex!
The chimney that I had rebuilt? Removed completely. The new basement? Totally gutted. The open-air ceiling from the basement to the main level? Filled in. The new furnace and all of the custom ductwork I fabricated by hand? Relocated. At least they left the exterior recognizable! I'm not really bothered by their changes, as this house has gone through many iterations over its life and I wasn't the first to modify it. I learned a lot while I completed this project and that is what really matters to me.
As I finished the last weeks of completing all of the tiny details involved with putting a house on the market I began planning my next domicile. I purchased a used wheelchair lift bus that was previously used as a retirement home transport in the city of Lebanon, OR. The dirty, white 17-passenger bus was quickly converted to my new home. A new paint job, bunk bed, flat-screen TV and small kitchen was all included in my home-made home. The wheelchair lift was converted into a motorcycle lift using telescoping exhaust pipe. I added a hitch so that I could tow the boat around with me. It has been quite a summer with this rig, and no matter where I go I have people of all ages asking for a walk-through.
The summer was filled with fun. I went on two rafting trips to the Deschutes, visited Lake Billy Chinook several times, went on some day-long motorcycle rides to Detroit Lake and up around Mount Saint Helens. I spent a good part of the season polishing my wakeboarding skills, which mainly consisted of drinking massive amounts of Willamette River sludge. I consistently nailed my 180s and consistently failed my 360s. Epicly. My young amigos also took their share of spills and thrills: Tommy, Chase, Cody, Travis, Nick and Logan.
And now that summer is over and things have gone back to (my version of) normal, I have been sleeping in late, tutoring the kids almost daily, hanging out with my cousin, Bobby, and staying up late. Summer ended early with the rains hitting us before August was over. The S2000 and the boat are both sold and my attempt to lead a more minimalist existence is getting closer. And then the bombshell was dropped.
Troy and Sierra both landed jobs in Shanghai, China, and asked me to move with them. It is such a cool opportunity to experience another lifestyle and culture, so I couldn't refuse. In the next couple of months I will be moving into a small apartment in Shanghai and hopefully adventures and hijinks will ensue. I will try to update my blog more frequently once I get there, but until then. Adios.
