Legwork and Life, week of 1/24/18

House Hunting

The mold results came back.  They were discouraging.  There's black mold growing in the basement of the condo, probably around the sump pump.  Several other types, too, but I'm most worried about the black mold, which I'm told has bad effects on normal people.  As I'm sensitive to mold, I suspect its effects would be rather more deleterious to me.  

As is apparently standard for this stuff, the issue went back and forth about whose responsibility it was to fix the mold situation... but it currently seems like the seller will split the cost of the mold remediation with us.  Black mold is a special kind of nuisance to clean up: apparently when disturbed, it spews millions of spores into the air, thus basically mandating plastic tents and trained professionals to clean it up.  

Current estimation for costs to fix it run from $200 to $500, but if the source isn't the sump pump's well, this is going to be quite a headache.  It's probably the sump pump, though.  

The bank has also come back with their appraisal of the place, which is naturally lower than what we've agreed to pay for it.  Which means they won't give us a mortgage for the full price we've agreed to pay.  So there's going to be a headache and a half while we try to figure out what to do with that situation.

Beyond that, everything is paperwork and stress.  The closing date is still more than 3 weeks away, but paperwork seems to keep cropping up, and one fidgety detail after the next after the next.  I hope we really love this place and stay in it for the next 40 years, because this affair has been so bad for me emotionally that I kind of never want to do it again.  I don't think any aspect of it has been fun.  

The Bracelet is Dead, Long Live the Bracelet

Unrelatedly, my rainbow bracelet finally broke.  

 

I've had that bracelet since 2012, when I made it in support of gay rights and because of my love of colors.  This picture isn't great, but it's been my near-constant companion each day I could handle wearing jewelry.  Some of the colors in this bracelet aren't being made by the supplier any more, which makes it basically impossible to replace.  

As I wore this bracelet, it came to represent a lot more to me than simply gay rights and colors.  The events of Ferguson, Missouri occurred, which highlighted the systematic oppression against African American people.  I was also introduced to a trans woman, who was in the process of transitioning at the time, and given some more exposure to the other letters in "LGBTQIA+."  So the bracelet eventually came to represent my belief that all minorities, whether they're racial minorities, neurodiverse minorities, sexual orientation minorities, gender minorities, religious minorities, or other minorities, deserve fair treatment and representation. 

Needless to say, I was upset when one of the white rubber rings broke, making the bracelet unwearable...

Fortunately, I made that bracelet, and I still have some of the supplies to "remake" it.  So I did.

It required carefully opening every single metal ring in the bracelet, removing all the old rubber rings, and replacing them with new ones.  I think I mostly managed to do it without letting the pliers scratch the metal rings, which is good, because I can't replace at least a quarter of the colored rings in there.

Overall

I'm doing okay.  I'd like to say I'm doing well despite the circumstances, but honestly I feel pretty fuzzy and out of it today.  I forgot my pills today, which I'm quite sure didn't help at all, but we also had another bout of mold in the house, which tends to kill my mood very impressively, and for quite a long period of time.  The mold has been removed, I think, but I've only just gotten the bedding washed, and the place aired out.  The scratch in my throat that seems to denote "mold in the house" is mostly gone, but the ill effects seem to be lingering.  

I'm back on my 2 day a week exercise program, though, and have sore muscles today from pushing my arms a bit on Monday.  I may stop beefing up my abs and back using the machines and start trying to do crunches and curls instead, though.  My middle already feels fat enough without adding more muscle there, and I could probably use more endurance on my core muscles, rather than just brute force.  Still thinking on it.  

I do seem to be keeping up with the blog, and I'm halfway through the book I need to review.  It's a good one, too.  I think you'll like it.