I’m a tightwad.

That is, my fiscal policy is rather conservative. I have no debt. I pay every cent on my credit card within a couple days of a charge going through. I believe in savings. I purchase stuff in cash.

So when it came time to buy appliances, it was tough, but I bit the bullet (so to speak) and went for some premium products, despite them being a little above my budget. As long as they last for years and we (being me, Molly, and our theoretical children) enjoy them, I figure it will be worthwhile.

That would be the refrigerator and the stove. The washing machine and dryer (drying machine?) were cheap second-hand models. That makes up for it, I suppose.

~*~

But for tonight, it’s the second-to-final phase of moving. This would be items like my clothes, some hygiene items, dishes, etc. The final would be my bed and a few assorted items that shall be moved tomorrow night.

April Fool’s for me, this year, means living in my new (to me, at least) house.

Sweet.

I am almost finished taping up boxes and tossing old stuff out.

This is always a more intense process than it should be, for me — I think too hard, I feel too deeply, and I am terrible at shaking the temptation to relive bygone memories.

While one of those temptations is to wax poetic for a few thousands words like I would have a decade ago in a similarly nostalgic mood, instead I will just list some of the most interesting items I have uncovered as I meticulously go through my things in preparation for their movement into the new house or discarding to the garbage:

1) A copy of The Bourne Supremacy. I had no idea I owned this. Knowing me, I probably hid it from myself, because the OCD/mentally disturbed part of me finds it really annoying that I only own one movie from the trilogy.

2) A collection of the letters I received when I first moved away from Indianapolis, where I was born, raised, and experienced more “life stuff” than can be expressed here. Skimming them was very bittersweet; an affirming note of encouragement from a spiritual mentor, a touchingly simple and simply touching “I’ll miss you” letter from a family at my old church, an “oh by the way I’m in love with you” letter, a few cards. I suppose it is only appropriate to go over these, given the similar circumstances.

3) My camera! Seriously, I “lost” it for months. I mean, it is by no means a great camera, but there are still 240 pics on it (about to transfer them to the laptop), and it is still good for a good run or two, I bet, nicks and all.

4) Some politically charged DVDs about militant Islam, the invasion of communist principles in the Catholic Church, the condemnation of child sacrifice in the Bible (that would be a pro-life vid, if you didn’t catch the subtlety), and others I have been meaning to watch. Definitely boxed up for the move, haha.

5) My collection of letters from an inmate currently serving time at a maximum-security facility and is kept locked up in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. Many people of these types (you know, the horrifyingly brilliant type with broken minds who killed some folks) you are not even allowed to write to; once upon a time, I went down a list, trying a letter each, and found one willing to correspond in return. I am re-inspired to write him again (it has been a while), and may someday reveal our exchanges. Remarkably fascinating stuff. I used to be quite the letter-writer, apparently. What a world.

6) A few very sad notebooks where I would start a personal Bible study, journal my insights, but inevitably fizzle out. A wretched cycle. I have been so much better in my Bible reading lately, but with the added charge of being called to be a Godly husband soon as well, it is difficult to not feel some added pressure, even as I know that it should not work that way (Jesus calls me with love, not pressure, to boil it down in gist).

7) Apparently I have this weird habit of keeping items from people I once knew who are now deceased. Uh, awkward. Toss, but a tough toss.

8) Sketches for my book cover. This is funny, because my book actually came up in conversation recently. Almost threw me off-guard.

I am still a sap for sentimentality, but recognize its danger, and am much less of a pack rat then I used to be.

I still miss a lot, though, I admit. I miss many things about life that I do not believe I will ever quite experience again.

But, again, rather than spill my guts about it all — I can (perhaps finally) honestly say:

There is even more that I look forward to.

Life is good. God is good.

1. First Home Repair: Removing a Dead Squirrel from the Hot Water Heater

So, basically, on Saturday Molly calls me and tells me there’s a tail sticking out of the hot water heater. Thing is, we had just done the final walk-through with our realtor a few days before and it had not been there. When I arrived, I was able to unscrew the ventilation housing and, with her brave help, smoothly pull the fairly fresh carcass from the pipe. Needless to say, that was something we laughed at, and will tell the story to many people in the future. And we have hot water now.

2. First Trip to Home Depot

Was tonight — got a ladder, primer, other painting supplies, bolt cutter (previous owner left a padlock permanently locking the fence gate, kinda weird), light bulbs, new faucet washer (o ring), other items.

Stuff like this definitely makes it feel more “real” before I am able to move in in a couple weeks.

To make a very long story very short: I finally closed on my house this morning.

Was going to have pictures, but can’t figure out how to get them off my phone and onto my laptop… haha.

1) Earthquakes suck.

2) I need new profile pics for http://twitter.com/theericbailey and http://facebook.com/theericbailey sometime soon.

3) I should really consider blogging. More regularly, I mean.