Barbara J. Hamby

Free at Last

Finally got out from behind the walls yesterday and was amazed my car, that had been buried in snow for a week, started immediately when I turned the key. My 2000 Honda still has its original battery, so I thought that was pretty surprising. However, a gal in the swimming pool today told me she just replaced the original battery in her 1999 car this year. They’re not making them like they used to. They’re making them better and that’s remarkable because so many things these days are built to last thirty to sixty days past the expiration of the warranty.

Anyway I got to the pool for a swim and workout both yesterday and today and did some shopping to replenish the refrigerator and cupboards that were getting slightly bare after a week of being inside.

With all the time indoors, I found several interesting websites, some that will be useful for my writing and others that are just entertaining or enlightening. One such site shows the present estimated valuation of houses around the country. A house in Portland, that my son’s late father and I bought in 1969 for $13,950. and did slight renovations on, is now valued at more than $300,000. Of course, it has had major remodeling done by subsequent owners. Other houses that I’ve been part owner of in the past have increased in value amazingly also, without the benefit of major remodeling.

What most surprised me was the fact that most of them have increased in value in the last month or two. The graphs showing variations over the years are really interesting. Some have taken big dips and climbs.

I always seem to be able to find some distraction to procrastinate getting back to work on my memoir stories.

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