Sunday, December 25, 2005

The Nesting Instinct

It looks like I want Santa to deliver me a giant sack of cash.

Sometimes when I save files and sit staring at the computer, I browse real estate websites.

I found some houses I would very much like to own and live in.

This carriage house is near where I live now.

Here is an enormous Victorian by the Danforth Light Rail stop near Bayonne. I've passed it before and thought "too bad that is not for sale." Now it is.

Here's a relatively sensible investment as it has several units in it. I think this must be on Danforth too.

Or more realistically, the $420,000 one in Bergen-Lafayette.

Only the really expensive one is in a great neighborhood. The others are "iffy," something I've done to death in the past and probably am too tired to face again.

My mother pointed out to me that energy costs are only going higher. (You're telling me—it's $240 a month to heat my natural gas heated condo, and that's with new insulation blown in the walls and plastic sealing up the windows.) And Yancey and Wooly both reminded me again of the insane property taxes we get slammed with here. Houses are way more than condos, and Jersey City is raising taxes per square foot in 2006. I clearly remember the last JC property tax debacle. It was in 1988 and half the town was for sale. The other half was foreclosed on. (But don't worry, I'm sure it's true that real estate never goes down in value. You can trust your realtor who told you that.)

It doesn't matter as it's all theoretical investing anyway. The freelance checks I'm waiting on seem to have been slowed down by the holiday mail and the negative $240 I had last week is now much lower in the negative zone.

I'm not wishing anyone any kind of holiday because my charming home country has now super-charged these sayings with subliminal meaning. If someone says "Merry Christmas" to me, I panic for a second and stare at them, trying to determine if they are a lunatic with an agenda or just someone who has always said it. And actually, all those things you are supposed to say seem kind of stupid, now that I think about it.

If Santa would be so kind as to bring me that giant sack of cash, I will say whatever he instructs me to say. Swell Santamas or whatever. Santa is the meaning of Christmas. I heart the North Pole.

On the bright side, at least today is not New Year's.

8 comments:

Sara Kocher said...

This whole "war on Christmas" thing is really ticking me off. I wish people could just accept it when others wish them well and stop nitpicking the details. There are several holidays that fall in this same two-week span and a very large portion of the USA celebrates at least two of them. Hence the plural "happy holidays."

Why I'm ranting at you, I have no idea.

Hope Santa brings you several bags of cash, as both the carriage house and the Victorian look fabulous. Although I know the Victorian would cost a fortune to heat and to maintain and it's 3,000 miles away from here, I still want it.

Joyous Santakkah, Merry Christmanzaa, and thanks for continuing the journal.

Marie Javins said...

Feel free to rant. The "war on Christmas" is just plain stupid.

Anonymous said...

C'mon Marie, your instinct to flee intimacy* has always trumped your nesting instinct but I guess cash (or dreams of it it this case) can really mess with our instincts.
And I like to say, "Merry Mithra's Day" to people. Christians don't like it when you mention their "War on Mithra's Day".

*Editor's note see: No Hurry in Jersey City Tuesday, December 06, 2005 On the Brink

Marie Javins said...

Ah, how ironic. I faced "fear of intimacy" and kicked its ass at exactly the moment that it decided to fight back as the most prominent personality flaw in the other person involved. Nice. Just desserts, perhaps, but kind of harsh...

Merry Day-After-Mithra's-Day.

Marie Javins said...

A few hours later:

I get it. Poetic.

I beat "fear of intimacy" and it hit back.

Steve Buccellato said...

I like Christmas. :(
War is not the answer.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Sara - oye vey - the nitpicking... really!... wassup wit dat crap?
I kindof hate the holidays in general. and then there are parts that I love.
sigh.
I sympathize with your nesting desires...that Victorian is gorgeous! howeer, I'm sort of getting "antsy" and want to do a bit of traveling - hence the reason I think I enjoy your blog so much.
Here's wishing that bundles of cash flow your way soon!
Happy Boxing day!
Oh and thanks for the really interesting info on your flight plans! Whew! You're amazing!
PB

Marie Javins said...

I'm so sick of the supposed "War on Christmas."

How about launching a "War on Propaganda?" A "War on Stupidity" would do nicely too.