Completely On the Grid

Apparently, my internet was down at home. For like a month. I hadn’t really noticed, I have been fairly busy with the life recently. I hadn’t even opened my laptop for about a month because it’s getting older, slower and dumb. I am on a computer all day at work these days, so cruising the internet didn’t seem too appealing when I get home at night. Throw a few socially busy weekends in and I had no clue. I was looking at my phone the other night and noticed it wasn’t using the wi-fi so I actually looked at my router, which was blinking weird colors. Huh. I had been off the grid. Normally I advocate for that, but I do pay for the internet, so I should have it available.

All better today, the nice guy came over and replaced the original router I have had since I moved in all those years ago, and I am back on it. He didn’t use techie words I don’t understand, and he got me back online. All is well. But it’s funny I hadn’t noticed. He said he ran some diagnostic thing before he came, and he said it was down a month, easily. I felt really cool. But I don’t stream stuff, or play games online so I didn’t notice. Old lady. I just have to laugh.

But that is not the only way I am back on the grid. I am officially a property owning individual now. I bought my house, 2 weeks ago, and now I am firmly and permanently on the grid. I am going to start complaining about property taxes, assessments, easements, all of it. I will be going to my cousin Dan on how to correctly hassle and criticize local officials, and I will likely be on a neighborhood committee before long. I am legit. I am for real. I am in debt. It feels pretty good.

I never thought I would get here, truly. My credit and finances were a hot mess about 12 years ago. I spent everything I made, mostly foolishly. I didn’t have it together, even a little bit. When I moved into this house, which my cousin Jane generously offered to rent to me, I had to figure things out a little bit better. Budget a bit, and I slowly started the process of making my credit situation better. It is a slow, painstaking process. But I found a way, I got a Kohl’s card, and paid it off every time I used it. Built it slow and steady. Eventually things got better, and I had better cards, paid off old things that were hanging out there yet from my dumber years. I wasn’t drinking and partying away my paychecks anymore, and I knew where money came in and where it went.

When I bought my current car, the Rav4, I did it on a little bit of a whim. I had the Saturn for a long time, a tree had landed on it, but it was ok. I drove it a few months and drove by car lots longing for a car not abused by a large maple tree. One day I stopped, asked a few questions, drove a car or two, and let them run my credit. I qualified for the best rate they give you on a deal like that. I went to my credit union to see if I could swing it, they ran a few numbers and told me they could not beat that rate, that if I really wanted that car, I should go for it, and go with the financing they offered me. It felt good to get that offered to me, and to be told that a lot of people don’t qualify for the rate I got. I have had the Rav4 for 2+ years, and I love it, no regrets.

I walked around with Zelda the past couple of years, looking at houses and always had that thought in the back of my head that I could never buy a house. I couldn’t swing it, I was just sure of it. I was going to just rent, and that is cool. Then, in April, my cousin let me know she was ready to sell the house, and if I was interested she wouldn’t list it, we could just work it out between us, no realtors or stuff, save both of us a little money. I was nervous about it, but I gathered up the laundry list of stuff you need to get pre-approved, and wandered into my credit union, and got pre-approved! I felt amazed, and so very proud of myself. I had fought back, I had made it to a place where I am considered a good risk to the credit issuers of the world!!

It took us a few months, neither my cousin or I move at warp speed for things, but after some paperwork, lots of signatures, and scraping together the down payment stuff, on November 5th I walked into the Title Company, and bought my little house. It was a little anti-climatic because I have lived here for years, but I didn’t have to pack or unpack a damn thing! I am an independent woman, and I am now a homeowner!! Don’t get me wrong, that mortgage stuff is scary! But it happened, and I am sure I can make it all work, I got this far, and I can get farther. Just shy of my 52nd birthday, I feel like an actual adult.

When I called for service for the internet, they ask a bunch of questions about availability, and stuff like that. And they asked me if I rent the property or if I am the homeowner. For the first time ever, I answered Home Owner. If felt amazing. I am on the grid people, and I am super ok with it!!