Easy Come Not So Easy Go

Meanwhile, the clock was ticking away on the site and I thought by one o’clock I would know if I had the first house.  Geez louise, it went to zero and wham, another 24 hours started ticking.  Good lord, I was not on the hook quite yet. 

“Alright, let’s go to High River and look at these houses.”  And off we went, John, Mom and I to see the infamous houses in High River.  John fiddled with his GPS since Google Maps did not recognized the addresses.  We would soon discover why as we drove around stomping ground that were fairly familiar to us but these 2 areas where the homes were being sold were both located in bush areas.  Hard to believe that there is bush areas in High River?  There’s a reason why these homes were being sold but that’s another story.   

Looking at the first house I was even more panicked than I had been as this was not a house, it was a freaking mansion.  Apparently these were million dollar homes but on the site they looked suspiciously small and non-threatening.  These monsters would definitely require lifting up of electric poles along the highways to our land.  Ka-ching, Ka-ching.

When we finally found the second location I started to breathe a little easier as there were tons of vehicles along the street and people bustling about.  We had noticed a considerable amount of vehicles driving along the desolate road at the first location with plenty of u-turns being performed so we knew there was action in town that could only be others looking for these auction homes.  My spirits picked up when I saw the Holmes Building Movers trucks.  Yes, definitely lots of people waiting to pounce.  My money was not lost yet.

The second house was even more imposing than the first one.  John’s evaluation was no more cheerful than at the first house.  The house was very high, there were turrets, a three door garage attached to the house, balconies.  It would be a nightmare to move.

“Well, at least you can’t say that I didn’t give you a lot of action today.”  I assumed a cheerful mien.

“Are you sure you weren’t drinking?”  John sniffed my breath “Perhaps we could say you were out of your senses so that you can withdraw your bid.”

“There’s no mechanism for withdrawing.  I already looked.”

John gave me a sour look and sighed some more. He was definitely not happy.  I don’t know if it was all the complications or the thought that Felix might be his neighbour.

However, I am nothing if not a woman of action.  I got on the phone as soon as I got home.  Who did I call?  Holmes of course and it’s a wonder that my hair did not turn white after that conversation.  The cost of the second house would be $75,000 to move and the first house definitely did not have underpinning (the floor was built straight on a cement pad, not great for a move).  However, the gentleman gave me some hope.  He said there were some prospectors who were definitely going to buy the million dollar homes because they had a project to relocate and sell them again “for big bucks”.  I thought “good luck” but didn’t say so.

Meanwhile I was frantically looking at the site.  Boom I had been outbid on the first house.  But still there was one house remaining.  Waiting, waiting, oh thank the lord.

I had a day where my blood pressure must have sky rocketed and I vowed never to do anything so insane again.

John just asked that I not try to ruin his life for at least another year.