Sometimes you have to look at something more carefully, sometimes you have do a double take. Driving along the road near the property I’m buying I was stopped in my tracks by a couple of Foo Dogs. They don’t bite, they don’t bark, they are Chinese sculptures with mythical importance. They are guardians, and one neighbor has two of them by their gate.
Those caught my eye for sure. I also noticed the superbly maintained property and the sign “Caretaker…” with a phone number. So when I was under contract with ownership on the horizon I called the number and introduced myself, explaining I was going to be a neighbor and would be needing a part-time caretaker.
Well, it happened again. I found myself and a total stranger talking as though we were old friends. Just about everyone I’ve come in contact with in this realization of my dream has been like this. Friendly! Helpful! Patient (I really appreciate this!) Back east this would be cause for suspicion at the very least, if not immediate outright dismissal as a con artist. There is a saying that in New England you will never become a local no matter how long you live there unless you were born there. But Colorado is different. Hardly anyone is a local by New England standards. But everyone is treated well, even a rube from New Jersey like myself.
So in the course of my conversation with the soon-to-be-neighbor’s caretaker named Ole (from Wisconsin), I learned a little about the neighbors and more about the neighborhood (all wonderful) and that he couldn’t help me because his position was full time, but he would help me find someone, maybe his brother in law.
The next week I was winging it out to Colorado to meet up with the home inspector and also a couple of architects because I would be needing professional help designing and managing the renovations. Friday morning I drove over to the house for the inspection and met up with Mike Hart of USInspect, he had just started the inspection and at the same moment the architect Phil Gerou and his associate Melissa showed up. A party! I wanted to be fully present for the inspection to learn about the house but the architect’s early arrival threw a wrench into that plan. But I do like someone who shows up eager and early, so it was still a good thing. After spending about 15 minutes with Phil and Melissa to show them around and talk about my ideas for the place I left them to wander around and get more familiar with the building and property.
I grabbed my notepad and camera and returned to the inspection, like a puppy following its owner. I watched and learned and asked questions while he tested, poked, prodded, turned things on and off and peered into dark corners, looked under furniture and opened cabinets, and ran faucets. We had a little time to chat and when I told him about my past in Aspen he asked if I knew someone named Swannee and her husband. Damn! Of course I did, she was a waitress in one of my favorite hangouts. The already small world had shrunk again.
After a while Mike announced he had done his job and would be emailing his report to me later that day. The radon test would come a few days later since he had placed the testing device and had to leave it for 24 hours.
Phil and Melissa were long gone and would be in touch with a proposal. Things were proceeding well. I was just waiting for architect #2 to arrive. The agreed period for the inspection ended and the seller was expected to return but the architect hadn’t arrived for our appointment at 2:30pm. I phoned him as I prepared to leave. When he answered it sounded as though he just woke up and he said “sorry I can’t make it.” I didn’t offer to reschedule. Woody Allen said “75% of success is just showing up.” Obviously this architect didn’t learn anything from Woody Allen, despite the surprising coincidence that they share an unusual last name: “Konigsberg.”
But I had accomplished the main objective for this trip: To look and to look again more carefully at the place I hoped would bring me a lot of joy. Plus there was the bonus lesson: I learned that you can trust nice people!