Another Year Older and Deeper in Debt...(with apologies to Tennesee Ernie Ford)

Well, another birthday is here: that's fifty-eight and counting. (Actually, fifty-nine, if you count from the opening bell, but who am I to buck convention).

The past year has been full of surprises: an unexpected retirement; a new house; no vacation (partly due to the press of time from my consulting contract at the office...and partly because of an aging dog that we couldn't leave with anyone else); a broken hand; two new books to publish---and, on top of everything else, a new house with a new mortgage to replace the already-paid for one, and a whole new and totally unexpected set of adventures.

A lesser man would whine and complain about the upheaval and turmoil...and to be honest, that's probably what I'm going to be doing for the next year or so. But there is also much adventure lurking in the shadows of the future. And so that's what I'm choosing to focus on: writing, reading, thinking, traveling...and doing something completely different from what I've been used to all my life.

If nothing else, it won't be boring. If I'm lucky, it will be a turning point in an already-full life, that will take me beyond the comforts that I've know, and into an enriching and exciting future.

And so...my fifty-seventh year proved eventful in many ways.

May the adventure continue....

JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a veteran public prosecutor in Detroit, Michigan, specializes in the appellate practice of criminal law and writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the science fiction adventure novel The Star Dancers, the exciting second volume in the Guardians of Peace-tm series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.

Closings and Openings

We closed on our new house today.

It's been stressful...but Nonie is quite excited by the notion of moving out into the country---and, to tell the truth, her enthusiasm is infectious. (I, of course, am immune...but as long as the finances stay under control---and we don't let ourselves become slaves to the place---I think it'll be fun, too).

We ended the day by changing the lock on the front door...and coming back to Livonia. We're both sad at the prospect of leaving the house where we raised our children...but excited by the prospect of adventures to come.

Tomorrow's the Day

We close on our new house tomorrow; Nonie and I are both a bit nervous---she about all the work the place will be; me about all the money we'll be spending (since our current house is all paid for)...as well as all the time it will take away from writing.

At the same time, we're both pretty excited. It promises to be a fun and enjoyable shared adventure.

I'm already doing the legal research to sue someone for breach of promise it if turns into a disaster for us.

Stay tuned to this channel for further details.

Trying to Close

Under the heading of "Why Plan Anything, Since Things Neverr Go As Planned"...we now have our real estate experience of 2009 to file away as an exhibit.

We'd planned on closing on Monday...and were getting things ready...when a not-entirely-unpredictable paperwork snafu arose: nobody had actually put Nonie's name on the purchase agreement yet, and this has sent the California Bank that actually owns the property into a tizzy.

Things should be straightened out in relatively short order...and it should still happen early next week. But it would be nice if things actually worked out as expected, every once in a while.