Yeah, I'm broke, but it's golf paradise
Ah, the memory of buying that new place, the sheer joy of closing a purchase and planning your move.
Right.
Feel free to substitute your own word for “joy” in that first sentence.
The truth is that finding a fantastic place to live and imagining yourself in it is immensely better in theory than in reality.
Oh, you’ll love the place when all is said and done, but ...
There’s a long and winding road between gazing happily up at your new digs and actually living in the place.
Contrary to those feelings of wonder as you lost yourself in visions of a fantastic new lifestyle, leprechauns will NOT appear from mysterious foliage to fight through a rapidly approaching date at the title company — and they doggone sure won’t move all that junk you’ve accumulated.
AS IT happens, I know these facts because I’m dead square in the middle of a move.
In other words, yes, after a tortuous few weeks, the closing did occur on the scheduled date, but only after I gave the final OK to a contractor fixing a deck off the living room.
That amazingly patient lady at North Idaho Title had all the signatures and paperwork finished a day earlier.
“Just say the word and I’ll file it,” she announced, no doubt wondering how on Earth a buyer might need work done on the morning of the sale.
But that very cool deck off the living room, the one that will be dreamland in the summer, was listing like the Titanic in its final moments.
This was my first time purchasing a condominium, you see, and I was coming to grips with the odd notion that everything inside the unit belonged to the buyer — but outside the walls (like, say, that deck) everything was in the hands of the homeowners association.
And some other workman had notified the association that the deck was tilted intentionally to help with snow runoff.
“You’re kidding,” I said. “Look around. Are there any other third-floor units that look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
“This isn’t right.”
It wasn’t right, as we all learned later during a proper inspection, and thus the rush was on to fix a few things so we could close on time.
A WIZARD handyman named Mike Wall created some magic in just a few hours and every little thing — at last — was transformed.
And so I get to enjoy a lifetime dream: living on a golf course.
The condo is right next to the third tee at Twin Lakes Village north of Rathdrum.
I was smitten the first time I laid eyes on it.
“Why do I need any money left in the bank?” I asked skeptical pals. “What could possibly go wrong?”
Look, world, I went through a hideous back surgery so I could continue playing golf — despite not being particularly good at it.
Golfers will understand.
But that first day at Twin Lakes, looking up at the trees, the mountains, and seeing the course quite literally outside the door...
It was a done deal.
Yeah, I’ll have to fight construction on Highway 41 for a couple of summers, and blowing snow in the winter.
Who cares?
To have that first cup of coffee in the morning while staring out at a gorgeous golf course ... I’ve waited a long, long time for this.
So despite everything, it’s a fantasy fulfilled.
Now ...
Would anyone like to help move my stuff?
- • •
Steve Cameron is a high-handicap, special assignment reporter for The Press. Steve can be reached via email at: [email protected].