[Gets on his soap box]
Just to let everyone know, I didn’t grow up under a turnip truck. I actually worked in construction, on new homes no less, for 18 months in the days of my youth when I learned what it means to be a man (with all thanks to Led Zepplin). I am aware of the fact that any number of factors can contribute to our closing getting put off…neither Charlene nor I are dumb.

Contractors strikes, bad weather, a fire, flood, collapse, our foundation could cave in, the inspectors could declare the house unfit, the wiring could be bad, the drywall could fall down, a bird could nest in our furnace, a protected indian burial ground could be found in our backyard or a full sized T-Rex could rear itself out of the neighbouring Deer Creek and trample our house like a flattened pancake.

I get it.

So why is it that every single conversation I’ve had with people about our house goes like this;

“So you bought a new house? When do you take posession?” Me; “October 12th”, person; “Pshaw, you’ll probably be delayed. Everyone I know has been delayed.”

My usual response is “Well, our builder has a good reputation, they even sometimes close early.” From now on though, I’m just going to punch people in the nose. No warning, nothing. The combined negative vibe from the rest of the world is going to create a self-fulfilling prophecy whereby we do get delayed, and end up moving into our place in January 2005.

I for one don’t relish fighting that damn T-Rex, so as my mom once said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything.”

When someone has bought a re-sale home, I have never once said “Oh, watch out for termites, dry rot, backed up pipes, grapes in your drains, dead bodies in the walls, mice, rats, gnats, explosive gasses, carbon monoxide, falling roofs, or Mexican hissing beetle infestations.”, so give us a break already.

[Gets down off his soap box]