CAN'T EAT THE VIEW
The 50 acres in PA was vacant land. We would have to start from scratch- drill a well, string electric, dig a septic, etc. I felt I was up to the task. It was my dream to build a little shack and a meeting house style church. Greg and his wife Elyse had built a recording studio in the chicken coop and went on tour with bands like Motley Cru and Lenny Kravitz. I had no such cache. If we moved to PA I would have to scramble to make a buck along with everyone else with a pick up truck and a hammer. The spot was 6 hrs out of the city. A commute was out of the question. Still, I couldn't wait to get started. We called the real estate agent. They hadn't yet signed. Dear God: Please let them sign.
Then one night I got a phone call from Florida. It was the owner of the church in Glen Wild. He told me that his mother had died over the summer and his father was now willing to sell the property. Hmmm. I told him I wasn't relly interested anymore, that we were moving to PA, but we'd take one more look. Mrs. Y and I cranked up the Malibu and drove up on the weekend. It was a dark rainy day. The house was a crappy, asbestos sided one story with a smell left over from the 50's. The church was filled with lawn mowers, old cans of paint and broken furniture. It leaked and listed to one side. We poked around silently. I told Mrs. Y about the certificate BB and I had found with the Christmo name on it. We couldn't find it. I don't think she believed me. All she was concerned about was where the sun set. The sky was gun metal grey and I didn't have a compass. I had no idea and couldn't have cared less. All I cared about was how I could pay for this place.
We drove back to the LES in silence. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but my wheels were turning. Glen Wild was 80 miles from NYC, making the commute possible. my brother lived 20 miles away and Wolf Lake was a ten minute drive. Both buildings were in rough shape, but had a septic, electric and well already in and even though the church was a mess.....what a beautiful mess. "What do you think?" I asked as we pulled onto the Palisades. "I think we have two weeks before we can get out of the deal in PA." That's all I had to hear. Dear God: If it's not too late I'd like to change that prayer.
Then one night I got a phone call from Florida. It was the owner of the church in Glen Wild. He told me that his mother had died over the summer and his father was now willing to sell the property. Hmmm. I told him I wasn't relly interested anymore, that we were moving to PA, but we'd take one more look. Mrs. Y and I cranked up the Malibu and drove up on the weekend. It was a dark rainy day. The house was a crappy, asbestos sided one story with a smell left over from the 50's. The church was filled with lawn mowers, old cans of paint and broken furniture. It leaked and listed to one side. We poked around silently. I told Mrs. Y about the certificate BB and I had found with the Christmo name on it. We couldn't find it. I don't think she believed me. All she was concerned about was where the sun set. The sky was gun metal grey and I didn't have a compass. I had no idea and couldn't have cared less. All I cared about was how I could pay for this place.
We drove back to the LES in silence. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but my wheels were turning. Glen Wild was 80 miles from NYC, making the commute possible. my brother lived 20 miles away and Wolf Lake was a ten minute drive. Both buildings were in rough shape, but had a septic, electric and well already in and even though the church was a mess.....what a beautiful mess. "What do you think?" I asked as we pulled onto the Palisades. "I think we have two weeks before we can get out of the deal in PA." That's all I had to hear. Dear God: If it's not too late I'd like to change that prayer.
posted by mike osterhout at 7:29 AM
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