[Mike Update 3: House Names]

How do you pronounce 'Patience'?
I'm completely in limbo. We leave the vacation house my girlfriend rented today, and I don't yet have a closing date for the new house. All my worldly possessions are in storage, the dogs are at the boarding kennel (I miss them), and I'm living out of a suitcase.

Byword for the week: Patience!

Reminds me of one of my favorite stories. My high school students used to have to roll their own film on to the developing reels, of course in total darkness. And obviously I couldn't go in there to help when someone got into trouble. So, to encourage them, I wrote a sign on the wall of the film-loading room in glow-in-the-dark tape (no, it doesn't hurt the undeveloped film as long as it's far enough away).

One day I could hear a girl in there just getting more and more stressed out, swearing and moaning. Finally she stormed out, saying, "WHAT is that word?!? Why did you put that there? 'PAT-eye-ents.' 'PAT-EYE-ense.' I could NOT figure out what that meant. What in the hell does 'PAT-EYE-ENTS' mean?!?"

The word on wall, of course, was "Patience."

She did feel appropriately chagrined at herself when I told her.  :-)

Hope springs
Its been delightful to be here in the Finger Lakes, my new home. Although my "new new house" is smaller and much older than my "old new house" (1400 sq. ft. rather than 2,000, built in 1880 vs. 1961), it's been very artfully renovated and restored by its previous owners and I'm just in love with the place. I love the spaces, the feel of the neighborhood, the grounds. It's about an hour's drive from S. and we hope to get together every week.

The Finger Lakes are utterly beautiful.

I want to name the new house, and nothing I've tried has quite stuck yet. "Eastlake" is the name of the road it's on, conflating the two; "Redwall" (there's one deep red wall in the kitchen) sounds too much like the title of a Stephen King novel.

[UPDATE: We decided to call it The Eastlake House, after the road it's on, and after Lady Eastlake, the first photography critic. I currently plan to put the office on the front porch, so there'll be a small portrait of Lady Eastlake out there that visitors can spot.

I also really, really want this to put inside the front door—it was made right up the road in Rochester, and it is gorgeous—but I absolutely can't afford it. Rats. —MJ]

With any luck this coming week will be eventful; I could be all in before week's end. There are still a few things up in the air, and I'm not in control of all the variables. But you know what they say—hope springs eternal!

Mike

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Stephen McCullough: "Feels like you are struggling a bit with the limbo thing. Well, you know this period will end, so be in the moment as much as you can. As for naming the place...Finger Lakes—your lake isn't by any chance the middle one? Just a thought.

"By the way, this entire story of you getting your son started in his next phase, moving on with your life, making a major shift, entering into a relationship and so on is all pretty inspirational."

Chuck Albertson: "Admit it. You're homeless."

Mike replies: I am.

Hugh Crawford: "Every time I was on the verge of buying a house I always asked myself if it would be appropriately named Toad Hall, as I looked upon Mr. Toad in The Wind In The Willows as something of a role model.

"Another thought: I used to know someone who called her house 'the small house' and called her car 'the green car' because she thought that way people will assume that she in addition had a larger house and a car that was not green."

Comments

[Darlene Almeda]

I know the pups are missing you! If you are not able to visit them, maybe you can call the kennel and they can put the phone to the pups ears so they can hear from their daddy.

Here is a short video about a dog dealing with 'PAT-EYE-ENTS'.
I LOL every time I watch it! I hope it brings a smile to your face.

https://youtu.be/tHvExOg4NI0

[Michael Perini]

Sounds frustrating, I'll assume the sentiment behind phrases like "It's an Adventure" have worn thin so I won't go there.
But do be certain that you don't skimp on time or expense for things like home inspection , repair estimates. (older home cold climate)
Don't forget to document the 'Adventure" and have a really good meal every day or two. Go hang with your pups a bit.
Take pictures even if only for yourself.
Remember the Chinese proverb that goes something like
If you are in a rush, dress slowly.
good luck

[jim woodard]

perhaps this is an opportunity to see what it is like to have few possessions but endless possibilities?

[Tony Roberts]

Hope Springs, if you can stand a two-word name.

[Kefyn Moss]

To quote Douglas Adams:
"A beach house isn't just real estate. it's a state of mind."
All the best for the next week.

[MarkB]

Rule #13: Don't give it a name until you really, truly know it's "yours." (Same reason FNGs don't get a nickname until they survive a few months.)

[MikeR]

The few times I've been there, it's been mid-summer, so I don't know how the following would play year-round: "Morning Light" or "Morning Peace", because, if you have any view at all across the lake, the morning light illuminates the bluffs beautifully. Glimpses of the water are a bonus. And it's so calm at that time.

Things will happen just right, you wait and see. Looking forward to the next post, when you're all ensconced, if not yet settled.

Off topic: For anyone living in the Philly area, there's a George Tice exhibit of large platinum prints at the Berman Museum, on the campus of Ursinus College, in Collegeville, PA. [ https://www.ursinus.edu/live/events/5870-george-tice-seldom-seen-and-big-platinums ] George Tice will be there on September 1, for a lecture. (The campus itself presents a photo opportunity, with many classic and modern sculptures located here and there on the grounds. Not quite like Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ, but enough for surprises.)

[Humzai]

Did you move again? I guess I missed something by being an awol reader, for a few months.

[Richard]

MIke, I'm in the mortgage business.....please don't take this the wrong way: What were you thinking?

[Michel]

I think the name Patience is appropriate for your new house.

[Dennis]

I'm partial to "Home" myself. I never knew anyone who had a house with a name; I'd only ever seen that in books or movies about rich people. I can't really see the point of it unless you have multiple homes and need to differentiate them. "We'll have to spend the summer at Twin Pines while Split Rock is being renovated".

[Alan Kett]

Mike:

Did you miss out on the Brian Jacques "Redwall" series? Of course, Redwall was a monastery and I'm not sure that's what you want!

Regards,
Alan

http://www.redwallabbey.com/

[ShadZee]

I think the name should be a combination of "finger" and "top" ;-)

[Hans Muus]

Trite as it may sound in general, wouldn't in your specific case something with 'View' in it be appropriate? 'TOP View' ?
Anyway,I am very glad for you. The house looks lovely and inspiring, you have your girlfriend almost within biking distance, there is lots of water nearby ... Life is change - and this one looks great!

[Soeren Engelbrecht]

How about "Blogspot" ?? Ah, no, that's already in use... :-)

[Richard Howe]

Hi, Mike,

You could call it "f/64" … as it seems to be so clearly ("sharply") what you wanted … (please, please, please nobody respond with a comment about diffraction).

Best, and good luck,
Richard Howe

[Murray Lord]

Given as Michael Reichmann's place in Mexico is Casa LuLa, I guess you should be ToP House?

[Paul Van]

Theo.... you should call it Theo. Not just for the Telly Savalas reference (Who loves ya baby?), but also for thiosulfate - you've been 'fixing' your life, healthy eating new relationship.... :)
Wishing you all the best.

[Mark Kinsman]

In the spirt of Frank Lloyd Wright and his Wisconsin home Taliesin, how about : Baile Solais - home of light

[Andrew]

Redwall is a children's fantasy book by Brian Jacques.

[xpanded]

Dogville - best name for a house

[Marcus]

Digit centralis? Sorry

[Richard Newman]

Enjoy being 'homeless' and not having to do maintenance, etc. Drive around with S. and learn the area, and TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS!

[John Igel]

You should call it Finger Hut. Oh wait, that's already taken...

[scott kirkpatrick]

dogpatch

[James Weekes]

The house will name itself, once you're in it.

[David L.]

Mike, how about some names derived from Latin?

Vox in Silva
Sylvan House
Lucus House
Signum House

[John]

Well, I hope this works out and you can buy the house in NY. It sounds like you're in a tough position, having sold the Wisconsin house without having a loan to fund the NY house purchase. If the loan delay is caused by the appraisal not being completed yet, you have more than just a closing date problem. If the appraisal comes in lower than the sales price you may have a loan problem. Banks are pretty tough these days.

[John...John. Stay positive with me here. Please. --Mike]

[Ernie]

For your property name, may I suggest, "Dark Slide", a name that has both a photographic reference, and a popular culture reference. Once so named, you can always invite people to join you on the Dark Slide.

[James Bullard]

You have my sympathy. We are waiting for the closing on a house we are selling. It was supposed to happen on the 21st of July according to teh contract we agreed to. We're still waiting.

[Martin Doonan]

Ah, yes! The limbo feeling. Been through that a few times and just about to start again as I make (yet another) international move.
Looks like I'll be at least 6 weeks living from a suitcase with no home to go to (until I find one when I get there). It's never a pleasant experience so I can jusy hope yours is over quickly and you can start to get settled soon.

[Darlene Almeda]

The Eastlake House ...
Besides the historical and landmark references you point to, it sounds classy. Good job!

[MM]

As Hugh Crawford's comment suggests, on hearing the name "The Eastlake House" some people will assume that you have in addition a west lake house.

[Steven Major]

You better get a tent. Your dogs will keep you warm. Eventually, you can eat your words. I do it all the time. I am overweight, but happy.

[Larry Kellogg]

That's why I keep working in the darkroom, because it is always a humbling experience. Working in the dark forces one to have patience, as you said. The situation is never improved by getting angry, staying calm is the best way to work through problems.

Never mind winding a reel, what about dropping a roll of film on the floor? The thing will always roll away to some place you've never dreamed of it going, and there you are spending twenty minutes trying to find it in the dark.

When Philippe Petit was setting up the cables to walk between the World Trade Towers, they started by shooting across a monofilament fishing line with bow and arrow. Well, Petit could not find the line in the dark, so, he stripped off all of his clothes and walked around the roof until he felt the line. I always thought that was a brilliant idea.