On February 21st myself, Kate and my sister Anne looked at three apartments in Forest Hills (it was supposed to be 4 but one of the residents at the fourth building threatened to murder the agent who was showing us the building.) After looking at the apartments and emotionally recovering from the death threat, we headed up to Fordham for a basketball game. On our way to dinner on Arthur Ave. the agent called us to inform us that there was another apartment that was just listed and suggested we take a look at it. Although it was a little out of our price range, we figured there was no harm in looking.
Later that week, I looked at the apartment and fell in love. Great sized rooms, beautiful building and an ideal location near Austin Street. Now about that price......
One of the many beautiful things about my relationship with Kate is the flexibility that we have in many situations (no, I'm not being filthy thank you very much) However, one of the areas where we didn't necessarily meet eye to eye was the financials of our home buying. I was lucky to have someone who was looking out for the two of us and didn't want to drive us into foreclosure; Kate was lucky because this apartment totally kicked ass and she would love to live there once I convinced her. And thus it became my mission: make the apartment much more then just a price tag and convince her that this is the home where we were meant to start our new life together.
We scheduled another viewing, checked it out, and no sooner than the door was closed on the car ride home, did Kate tell me she loved it; but could we afford it? Well sure enough, your humble narrator became "Mr. Excel" and started creating spreadsheets left and right.....20% down + maintenance + mortgage= this per month etc etc etc. We could eat Raman for dinner right? Food comes and goes, a beautiful apartment is forever (or until we buy house.)
We placed our bid on March 14th and on March 17th, after a little back and forth, our offer was accepted. What an omen right???? Two Micks have their offer accepted on St. Patrick's Day. This should be a piece of cake! Unfortunately it didn't quite work that way. Days turned to weeks and weeks to months for this process to unfold.
I could spend this blog venting about Chase and the plague of locusts that I wish on them but I'm not going to do that. Why? Because I'm thrilled. Today Kate and I closed on our apartment and are now proud owners of Apartment 5L. So what that it took us 158 days.....we did it, it's ours. My dad (who we could not have done this without) took us for a pint of Guinness after the closing and then Katie and I headed over to the new place. When we got into the car, we turned to each other with the same look that said the same thing....."Holy shit...we did it."
Now let's get married.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
My Home
"At the early age of thirty-eight me mother said Go West!"
Those who know me are well aware of my love and respect for my Irish heritage. As I sit here just short of my 29th birthday I realize that I have more than lived up to the stereotype of Irishmen found in the Christy Moore lyrics cited above: a tendency to live at home with their "mammies" well past the age when most people have left.
Living at home post-25 is an interesting experience. Television and movies tell us that it is for unemployed losers who can't get their acts together (see George Costanza) Others say that it's a smart move because it's a great way to save money. Personally, I always had everything I needed here in Stewart Manor: family, friends and the support that comes along with them.
Stewart Manor NY 11530. This is the only address I have ever known. This is my home.
This is where I threw tennis balls against the stoop to practice my fielding for Little League, shot tape pucks at garbage can nets and played tennis with my sister Anne every summer during the US Open
This is where I come home (even to do this day) late at night and in various stages of sobriety to let my parents know that I'm home safe even though they don't always remember it in the morning.
This is where I would sneak outside for a late night cigarette after everyone had gone to bed (DISCLAIMER: I did this when I smoked which I no longer do)
This is where my parents set the example for what married life and family should be.
This is Manor Brews and Carvel
This is where my sisters treated me like a prince even though I rarely reciprocated.
This is where I spent all of my Christmas mornings; walking downstairs before dawn as a child and being dragged out of bed to walk upstairs as an adult.
This is where I became a lifelong Mets fan after watching Game 6 of the 1986 NLCS with my grandmother.
This is where Monday nights were for 24 with Maureen, Frank and Jack Bauer.
This is the town where I played Little League, was a Boy Scout and am now a fireman.
This is where my father, perhaps after a few cocktails, would sing "Dirty Old Town" while cleaning up in the kitchen after a family party.
This is where it took me 25 years to get my act together academically and provide my parents with the Masters they deserved much more than I did.
And finally: this is where I spent my entire life.
I'm getting married on Saturday which fills me with more excitement then anything before. I cannot wait to start my new life with my wife Mary Kate. However, it would be dishonest for me to say that I'm not a little sad right now. I'm sad for this amazing chapter in my life that will soon be just a memory.
It is now my turn. Saturday starts a new chapter that will present the challenge of being as good of a spouse as my father is to my mother and my mother to my father and to one day provide my children a life that just might make them want to live at home until they're 29.
Those who know me are well aware of my love and respect for my Irish heritage. As I sit here just short of my 29th birthday I realize that I have more than lived up to the stereotype of Irishmen found in the Christy Moore lyrics cited above: a tendency to live at home with their "mammies" well past the age when most people have left.
Living at home post-25 is an interesting experience. Television and movies tell us that it is for unemployed losers who can't get their acts together (see George Costanza) Others say that it's a smart move because it's a great way to save money. Personally, I always had everything I needed here in Stewart Manor: family, friends and the support that comes along with them.
Stewart Manor NY 11530. This is the only address I have ever known. This is my home.
This is where I threw tennis balls against the stoop to practice my fielding for Little League, shot tape pucks at garbage can nets and played tennis with my sister Anne every summer during the US Open
This is where I come home (even to do this day) late at night and in various stages of sobriety to let my parents know that I'm home safe even though they don't always remember it in the morning.
This is where I would sneak outside for a late night cigarette after everyone had gone to bed (DISCLAIMER: I did this when I smoked which I no longer do)
This is where my parents set the example for what married life and family should be.
This is Manor Brews and Carvel
This is where my sisters treated me like a prince even though I rarely reciprocated.
This is where I spent all of my Christmas mornings; walking downstairs before dawn as a child and being dragged out of bed to walk upstairs as an adult.
This is where I became a lifelong Mets fan after watching Game 6 of the 1986 NLCS with my grandmother.
This is where Monday nights were for 24 with Maureen, Frank and Jack Bauer.
This is the town where I played Little League, was a Boy Scout and am now a fireman.
This is where my father, perhaps after a few cocktails, would sing "Dirty Old Town" while cleaning up in the kitchen after a family party.
This is where it took me 25 years to get my act together academically and provide my parents with the Masters they deserved much more than I did.
And finally: this is where I spent my entire life.
I'm getting married on Saturday which fills me with more excitement then anything before. I cannot wait to start my new life with my wife Mary Kate. However, it would be dishonest for me to say that I'm not a little sad right now. I'm sad for this amazing chapter in my life that will soon be just a memory.
It is now my turn. Saturday starts a new chapter that will present the challenge of being as good of a spouse as my father is to my mother and my mother to my father and to one day provide my children a life that just might make them want to live at home until they're 29.
Hello
Hello my name is Frank McCaughey and I am now a blogger.
My original aversion to blogging was that I could never comprehend (and still kind of don't) why anyone would want to hear what I have to say. I lead a rather uneventful life and fundamentally have a problem with people who run around thinking that others want to hear about their uneventful life.....I suppose I found it a bit presumptious.
Then something happened......I grew up. In one quick year I went from an unemployed, single grad student living in his parent's basement to an employed, (almost) married full time teacher.....living in his parent's basement (although that will soon change as well)
In two days I will offically own a home. In five days I will be married.
I feel that I've always been one to reflect on the events that have shaped my life and I now stand at the precipice of two of the biggest; this is what has lead me to this blog.
I will update as I move through this exciting time in my life that wil provide a tremendous amount of joy but also a little sadness. If you take the time to read this, I thank you in advance and hope that I don't bore you too much.
Cheers
-Frank
My original aversion to blogging was that I could never comprehend (and still kind of don't) why anyone would want to hear what I have to say. I lead a rather uneventful life and fundamentally have a problem with people who run around thinking that others want to hear about their uneventful life.....I suppose I found it a bit presumptious.
Then something happened......I grew up. In one quick year I went from an unemployed, single grad student living in his parent's basement to an employed, (almost) married full time teacher.....living in his parent's basement (although that will soon change as well)
In two days I will offically own a home. In five days I will be married.
I feel that I've always been one to reflect on the events that have shaped my life and I now stand at the precipice of two of the biggest; this is what has lead me to this blog.
I will update as I move through this exciting time in my life that wil provide a tremendous amount of joy but also a little sadness. If you take the time to read this, I thank you in advance and hope that I don't bore you too much.
Cheers
-Frank
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