Jason Pearce

Today was no fun at all. I woke, came downstairs, and was greeted by a standing pool of water. Not just any water, but sewage water.

I spent most of the day trying to mop up water at a pace that was faster than it would appear. Finally, the city fixed a stopped-up sewage line and things began to drain.

Though most of the damage is confined to the downstairs guest bathroom, it’s still going to be a mess getting everything back to normal. Some of the walls have stains at their base, the floorboard appear to show some warping, and the carpet is still soaked.

Not fun. Not fun at all.

On Tuesday, I became a first-time home owner. Well, it’s really a condo — but it’s my condo.

I split the 13-hour drive from Connecticut to Indiana between two days. On Sunday, after loading the truck that morning, I drove all the way to the Pennsylvania/Ohio border. Most of the trip was made on I-80, which made for a scenic drive by interstate standards.

On Monday, I finished the rest of the drive, arriving to my new neighborhood by about 3 p.m.

Upon arrival, the first thing I did was to remove the Audi from tow and return the trailer to Penski. Driving a 15′ truck is not easy. Add a car in tow and you loose the ability to back up. Try driving 750 miles without backing up sometime — it’s not easy to do. You really have to plan ahead.

On Tuesday morning, everyone but my realtor showed up to close on the condo. Picture three people sitting on one side of a board room table and just me on the other. Add in the fact that I’ve never bought a home before and didn’t know what I was doing. It wasn’t a comfortable/enjoyable feeling — though a closing should be.

I felt bad for my realtor, for she was great at helping me find a place and called frequently to follow up on things I need to take care of. She simply posted the date of my closing in her calendar to occur on Wednesday, one day later. She arrived after everything was signed and felt horrible for her mistake. It would have been nice to have had her there.

After closing, I had the whole afternoon to unload the contents of the truck into my two-car garage. I’ve since been spending my days unpacking.

I’ve also done some furniture shopping. Today, I bought a modern couch, chair, and rug from Houseworks Furniture. I still have to get bedroom, den/office, and kitchen furniture but may wait a few months before laying out more cash. The nice thing about the couch and chair is that I’ll have them delivered this Wednesday.

The other obvious news of the day is that I got my cable-modem hooked up. So I’m back online. Yea.

Yesterday and today were spent stuffing things into boxes in preparation for tomorrow’s move. I often feel I have few possessions. I think otherwise on moving day.

Year after year when I pick up a truck I think to myself “Man, this is a big truck. I’m going to have plenty of room.” Two hours later, I think “Where did all of this crap come from and how am I going to fit it all into this tiny truck.”

I pick up the truck and car carrier tomorrow, load it up in the morning, and begin part of the 13-hour drive to Indianapolis that afternoon.

It seems everything is set for my closing on Tuesday morning. I’ll sign a few papers, initiate a sizable wire transfer, and begin moving into my new place.

Now it’s time for me to pack up my computer, so you won’t hear from me for a couple of days.

My upcoming plan for the next two weeks is as follows:

• Thursday, Apr 15: Last day of work
• Sunday, Apr 18: Load the truck and begin the drive to Indianapolis
• Monday, Apr 19: Spend all day driving, Audi in tow
• Tuesday, Apr 20: Close on the condo in the morning, wait for current owner to move out
• Wednesday, Apr 21: If owner moves out by afternoon, I’ll begin moving in
• Thursday, Apr 22: Finish moving and return the truck
• Monday, Apr 26: Might begin new job, though I’m not scheduled to start until May

My new residence will be 4728 Charrington Circle #74, Indianapolis, IN 46254-9671. If you are a Plaxo user, I’ll update your address book automatically with my new work and home information. Otherwise, simply visit my site to look up my contact information.

My new home.

It’s a 1985 two-bedroom, two-bath, two-car garage condo located on the west side of Indianapolis. Roughly 1,300 square feet, the condo features a two-story living room that overlooks a pond, which is covered by a huge weaping willow tree. The pond must be about 10 to 15 yards from my back porch.

You know, they say you should get yourself something nice on your birthday. Well, I got myself a new home. Not a bad day.

It all happened rather fast.

• Last weekend I received the job offer.
• Monday night I accepted.
• Tuesday, I had the difficult job of giving a wonderful employer four-weeks notice.
• Wednesday was St. Patrick’s day, so I had the “night off” and went to O’Neill’s.
• Thursday I get pre-approved for a loan and spend time online looking for homes.
• Friday, I get a realtor and fly out to Indianapolis that night.
• Saturday, I look at two dozen homes and condos.
• Sunday, I make an offer, receive a counter offer, and respond with another offer in kind.
• Monday morning, I’m back at work and learn that my offer was accepted.

Happy birthday; I just bought my first home.