Scooter. Today's pic has nothing to do with what I'm writing about. Kristen sent me this portrait of her dog and I just thought it was cute.
…
My life has always been a series of obsessions, starting when I was a little kid. Jets, ducks, turtles, and comic books, all kept my undivided attention at one point in my youth. My latest obsessions have included this website, MP3s, and protein shakes. Some compulsions have been unreasonable and short-lived, like when I decided I wanted to be president. Others, like writing and taking pictures, transformed from overwhelming time consumers to sustainable parts of my everyday life. Unfortunately, when in the midst of a new hobby frenzy, I can never tell if it is sane, like my interest in running during my lunch break, or mad, like my plan to weld fighting robots in my 4 by 8 studio.
My latest scheme/goal is to invest in some property upstate for a weekend fishing retreat. It seems like a good idea even though I have no car or wife and I'm addicted to the weekend bar scene of the East Village. I'm breaking down the pros and cons of purchasing a cottage here for my own personal reference.
Pros:
– I love to fish and owning a cottage would enable me to do it more often.
– I could probably afford a cheap car that I kept parked near the end of the metro north. This would make it easier to get home and make it be less than three hours to get to the cottage. I could leave work at 5 on Friday and be having a beer on the patio by 9.
– I have lots of friends who would love to get out of the city if it were free. Also friends/brothers who love to fish.
– If the cottage is in the Catskills, we could also stay there during snowboarding season.
– I can't afford a place in the city, and this might be a good investment for the savings I currently have.
– I could host Thanksgiving some years.
– Huge tax break.
Cons:
– I am not married, which means I have no one I can force to go up there with me. On the other hand, I very much like to get away from folks once in awhile.
– If I buy a place with electricity and all the amenities, that also includes substantial maintenance costs that are a loss on the investment.
– I may never go up there.
– I could buy a "summer" type place that has electricity and hot and cold water, but is designed to be shut up for the winter. This would eliminate snowboarding.
– Shoveling the driveway, mowing the lawn, painting, gutters, changing furnace filters, light bulbs, hedges, washing windows, getting fuel oil, plus a million other little headaches that home ownership involves.
So I'm researching my prospects. Here are some places I'm considering:
– A small cottage near a lake
– A new, private cabin with no grass
– A large piece of property with just a shack that I could build on later
Any advice is welcome.
…
Site of the Day: The craze that is sweeping the city, dodgeball leagues.
Should I buy a house or a little dog?
Scooter. Today's pic has nothing to do with what I'm writing about. Kristen sent me this portrait of her dog and I just thought it was cute….
My life has always been a series of obsessions, starting when I was a little kid. Jets, ducks, turtles, and comic books, all kept my undivided attention at one point in my youth. My latest obsessions have included this website, MP3s, and protein shakes. Some compulsions have been unreasonable and short-lived, like when I decided I wanted to be president. Others, like writing and taking pictures, transformed from overwhelming time consumers to sustainable parts of my everyday life. Unfortunately, when in the midst of a new hobby frenzy, I can never tell if it is sane, like my interest in running during my lunch break, or mad, like my plan to weld fighting robots in my 4 by 8 studio.
My latest scheme/goal is to invest in some property upstate for a weekend fishing retreat. It seems like a good idea even though I have no car or wife and I'm addicted to the weekend bar scene of the East Village. I'm breaking down the pros and cons of purchasing a cottage here for my own personal reference.
Pros:
– I love to fish and owning a cottage would enable me to do it more often.
– I could probably afford a cheap car that I kept parked near the end of the metro north. This would make it easier to get home and make it be less than three hours to get to the cottage. I could leave work at 5 on Friday and be having a beer on the patio by 9.
– I have lots of friends who would love to get out of the city if it were free. Also friends/brothers who love to fish.
– If the cottage is in the Catskills, we could also stay there during snowboarding season.
– I can't afford a place in the city, and this might be a good investment for the savings I currently have.
– I could host Thanksgiving some years.
– Huge tax break.
Cons:
– I am not married, which means I have no one I can force to go up there with me. On the other hand, I very much like to get away from folks once in awhile.
– If I buy a place with electricity and all the amenities, that also includes substantial maintenance costs that are a loss on the investment.
– I may never go up there.
– I could buy a "summer" type place that has electricity and hot and cold water, but is designed to be shut up for the winter. This would eliminate snowboarding.
– Shoveling the driveway, mowing the lawn, painting, gutters, changing furnace filters, light bulbs, hedges, washing windows, getting fuel oil, plus a million other little headaches that home ownership involves.
So I'm researching my prospects. Here are some places I'm considering:
– A small cottage near a lake
– A new, private cabin with no grass
– A large piece of property with just a shack that I could build on later
Any advice is welcome.
…
Site of the Day: The craze that is sweeping the city, dodgeball leagues.
