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A Year & A Day: Sure Tastes Like Home

  • Friday / May 19, 2023
A Year & A Day: Sure Tastes Like Home 1

A Year & A Day: Sure Tastes Like Home

A Year & A Day: Sure Tastes Like Home 2
Been here a year and a day
A year and a day
What can I say
What can I say
House becomes home
Just a year and a day
What can I say
Three cats under a roof
At sleep and at play
What can I say
What can I say
So much love
Just a year and a day
Just a year and a dayIndeMoJo

It’s been a long winding road. One that started in the pine barrens of New Jersey, and ended up 1100+ miles later in the Midwest. I’m amazed that it really has been a year and a day since I closed on our new home for me and the kitties.

A Year & A Day: Sure Tastes Like Home 3

The story leading up to my arrival in Independence, MO is so bitter sweet. The short version is:  I could no longer work, took early Social Security retirement, and moved in with my 90+ year old mother because of my health. It was a win win for us both. She was still “capable” of taking care of herself, but my being there also made sure she had a better quality of life. Sadly, she passed away January 3, 2022. We were both very fortunate to spent her last three years of life together. It was a gift for us both.

Mom: Her Final Year

With her passing I had to find a new place to call home. I could no longer afford to live in New Jersey, especially on Social Security alone. So I began a search in earnest for a new home. I knew with the moneys I would receive from Mom’s insurance, small investments, and a quarter of the sale of her home, I could look for a small home to buy. An so my Zillow search began.

A Year & A Day: Sure Tastes Like Home 4I popped in my 125K limit into Zillow and looked state by state; trying to find what fit best for me and the kitties. It came down to the Kansas City KS / Kansas City MO area—”The Land Of Second Chances”. Once I narrowed it down, I went for a visit from 3/1-3/4/22 to explore and meet my new realtor Scott Harvey and his soon to be husband Fidl Z Partiz Hawi of Scott Harvey Real Estate. We started looking for house my very first day. Just hit the ground running.

The Kansas City area and especially downtown Kansas City was starting to appeal to me. It also reminded me of Seattle—in a good way. With this info and good feeling in hand, heart, and brain, I went back to New Jersey nas started packing my belongings.

Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’ Keep Those Kitties Rollin’

On March 29, 2022 my POD was picked up and put in storage. On March 30, 2022 the kitties and I packed into my Kia Soul and we hit the road. Two days and two 16-hour drives later we arrived in our rental in Raytown, MO. Scott had a realtor friend who let us have the place for $1000.00 a month with utilities and Internet. This was our home base while I looked for out new home.

It took a month and several refused offers until we found and closed on my new home here in the Arts District of Independence, Missouri—May 18, 2022.

Home is where I want to be
Pick me up and turn me ’round

And so the adventure(s) began. I had a new home and a host of things, tasks, projects, repairs, upgrades, and improvements to accomplish. It became my new job and obsession.

Below are all the previous posts documenting all I did in this past year. Why reinvent the wheel?

The great thing? There are more projects to come. My new driveway and sidewalks contactor, Cabrera Concrete & Foundation will be starting their work Memorial Day (Monday – May 29). They have booked 4 days to complete the job. I have been waiting for this since last summer. The contractor that was supposed to do it—failed. He failed to make contact with me after calling him several times. Rule one? Return phone calls! His loss.

Ready For Spring Projects!

The other big project on the horizon will be a new custom fence, built by yours truly. My only issue is: will I have the energy to do it by myself. Not like I have a host of friends here yet to call up for an assist. It’s a daunting task. I know I have the chops to do it, but not sure I have the energy. If I do decide to move forward, I’ll have to take delivery of all supplies needed to do the project. From 16′ x 34″ cattle fence panels, pressure treated 4x4s, 2x4s, 2x6s, and MANY bags of quick set concrete. Yeah … a lot to think about; especially where/how to store all the concrete bags outdoors so there don’t get wet and harden. Plus all that lumber—LOTS-O-LUMBER! Guess we’ll see. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

home 1

Spring has sprung here on Harvard Ave. I’m looking forward to the next year and what it will bring. With all that’s past and all that has yet to be … I LOVE MY NEW HOME!

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Joe Streno

artist . musician . photographer . retired apple computer consultant . residing on planet earth with his two cats rudie, & rocco & living to tell tales about it

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