A Time for Changes

Well, it's a new year. (Yes, I know I'm a week late. Get over it!) A lot has happened for me, so I guess it's time to review a bit of it.

First of all, I can finally be a bit more specific about my plans for the future. As of January 1, I have enough money in the bank to make the down payment on a house in the DC area. I can now afford to buy a house costing up to $250k.

The only catch is that now I need to find the right house. What does that mean? Well, I'm looking for the following features:

1. Detached, 3 bedroom, 2 bath house (but I'll take more rooms if I can find them). This is important to "future proof" the purchase, and also just to have room to live. After all, if I buy the house, I'll likely be living there for at least 5 years, and who knows where I could be by then. (Married with 3 kids? Certainly possible in theory.) It will also maximize the resale value whenever I do finally sell it.
   
2. It must have natural gas available. If I am buying a house, I want to be able to build my kitchen, and that will require a gas stove. I've spent too long cooking on electric stoves with little or no control over the heat. If it doesn't have a gas stove when I buy it, I need to be able to put one in with a minimum of fuss.
3. My commute cannot get any longer. As it is, it takes me about an hour each way to get to work. I'm not willing to sacrifice even more of my life to my employment. That means that I can't move any farther away from DC than Fairfax, where I currently am. Also, the closer to Metro, the better.
   
4. I would like at least either a basement or a fireplace. Preferably a basement (I can always put in a wood burning stove). The basement should be big enough to give me enough shop space for minor woodworking.
5. Most importantly, it cannot be located in any ward where I either have lived before, or have close relatives. My mother's brother and sister have both lived in their respective wards pretty much since before I was born. I would never be able to effectively build an identity separate from them if I moved into either of their wards. Similarly, I couldn't move into the ward that I grew up in, because it would be too awkward, and I don't think my brother needs me moving into his ward for the same reason.

If all goes well, I'll be able to find the right place and move in by the middle of the year. I'm sure I'll write more about it as it gets to be more of a reality.

This may surprise or shock some of you, but I also have become a certifiable gun nut. I've always enjoyed spending time with quality firearms (they are true marvels of engineering, and it helps that my brother worked for the NRA for 10 years), but I have finally joined the ranks of gun owners. My current collection stands at three guns - a hunting rifle, a handgun (a Colt 1991 .45 - the gun that served as the military's standard from WWI up until the mid-80s, and is still preferred by Special Forces), and a "fun" rifle (a WASR10 - the Romanian semi-automatic version of the AK-47, which is probably the most common rifle in the world because it is so well designed). When I get the chance, I will post some pictures if anyone wants to see them.

But before any of you can get worried, let me just say that there is nothing to fear from any of my guns. I am well trained in all aspects of gun safety, and keep them properly secured whenever they are not in use. The only people who have anything to fear from my guns are those who try to harm either me or my loved ones. Guns are not something to be feared, but they are deserving of respect. As long as they are properly handled, maintained, and stored, they are perfectly safe.

I am also in the process of applying for a CCW (Concealed Carry of Weapons) permit in Virginia. As part of that, I am required to demonstrate proficiency both in using a gun as well as in when not to use a gun. It also requires a lot of study and thought about the law on self defense, and is not something that should be done without careful thought. For me, it will simply be one more tool, in addition to others that I have, to defend myself and my loved ones. It is always better to learn how to use tools before you need them, even though I hope I never need to use them.

Other than that, I have very little I could complain about. I have a good job, good friends, and a good life. My family is all in good health (with the exception of my father's broken leg/ankle - be careful on the ice), I got to meet not one, not two, but three new neices and nephews over Christmas, and I spent some good time with my two older nephews. My brother-in-law is back from a year overseas, and I look forward to seeing him in the next few months. I have some homemade baklava sitting on the table downstairs, just waiting to absorb all of the syrup so I can eat it, and I am feeling healthier than I have in a long time.

Right now, it looks like 2009 will be quite an active and momentous year for me. I've pretty much put my life in order, and am moving myself out of the holding pattern that I've been in for the past year or so. I'm finally getting around to doing several things that I have meant to do for a while (including starting a paper journal).

In other words, life is good! Why should I complain?