It's hard enough managing one home ... but this week has been full throttle managing all three places I can all claim as "home." No wonder I'm feeling like I'm not really living in the present.
First, there's the day-to-day home in Manila with all the normal day-to-day stuff that goes on like balancing one car with play date requests by the oldest son and dentist appointments for me (I won that one). Air conditioners making weird noises (immediate need to fix - I never want to be in an AC-free house here). Christmas bonus to pay the household staff, as well as keeping current on premiums for their social security and health care.
Then, there's my claimed residency in Texas. Not too much going on there, but I did have to write a check for property taxes and some initial capital repair expenses. Expected, but still means reading through a spreadsheet, making sure I understand everything, and assembling the check book, address, and stamps all at the same place. Sounds simple, but somehow it took me three days.
Finally, the transition of our rental condo in DC. We've been quite lucky having my sister rent it for the last four years. Sadly, that blissful nirvana came to an end on Nov 30. So, now I have to schedule packers/storage for the last things we left in there (after all, we don't own that much else ... and I dread the possibility of being assigned to DC next where I am responsible for furnishing my own house, and hemorrhaging cash as a result). And "interview" (over email) a property management company, to find someone who I think I can trust and who is a reliable email correspondent (given the time difference). And keep my fingers crossed the apartment rents quickly to a reliable tenant after the minor repair work is done.
We always live with a bit of a split brain - our assignments are temporary and defined from the beginning, it's impossible (for me, at least) to fully fall into life in the new city. This week, though, I feel like my brain is not just split, but exploded.
First, there's the day-to-day home in Manila with all the normal day-to-day stuff that goes on like balancing one car with play date requests by the oldest son and dentist appointments for me (I won that one). Air conditioners making weird noises (immediate need to fix - I never want to be in an AC-free house here). Christmas bonus to pay the household staff, as well as keeping current on premiums for their social security and health care.
Then, there's my claimed residency in Texas. Not too much going on there, but I did have to write a check for property taxes and some initial capital repair expenses. Expected, but still means reading through a spreadsheet, making sure I understand everything, and assembling the check book, address, and stamps all at the same place. Sounds simple, but somehow it took me three days.
Finally, the transition of our rental condo in DC. We've been quite lucky having my sister rent it for the last four years. Sadly, that blissful nirvana came to an end on Nov 30. So, now I have to schedule packers/storage for the last things we left in there (after all, we don't own that much else ... and I dread the possibility of being assigned to DC next where I am responsible for furnishing my own house, and hemorrhaging cash as a result). And "interview" (over email) a property management company, to find someone who I think I can trust and who is a reliable email correspondent (given the time difference). And keep my fingers crossed the apartment rents quickly to a reliable tenant after the minor repair work is done.
We always live with a bit of a split brain - our assignments are temporary and defined from the beginning, it's impossible (for me, at least) to fully fall into life in the new city. This week, though, I feel like my brain is not just split, but exploded.
No comments:
Post a Comment