into the abyss, again

this is our lovely home, and it has a brand spankin' new, bright blue "for sale" sign stuck in the snow in front of it.  we are moving...AGAIN.  despite what its name implies, life in the allen family bermuda triangle ensures a surprising amount of instability.

i feel a bit like we're jumping off a cliff in that i have zero idea where we will be living after it sells (and i think it will sell--please god let's not have a repeat of our last selling experience).  but i can say that i doubt we'll be in another house--i am not going to commit myself to improving another property in the upper midwest ever again.  and, living together as we did in stockholm in an 800 sq ft apartment has shown us the benefits of smaller living.  there is no shortage of architecturally-uninspired, cookie-cutter townhomes to rent here, so i'm sure we'll find something manageable. seriously, developers: have some pride and take more care with your designs, as people have to live in them.

our house is a true work of art--it was designed by the same architect who designed the university of iowa dental sciences building--and it is an excellent example of 1970s brutalist architecture.  it completely kicks ass and we have loved living here.  i've worked like a dog to preserve and develop our acre; i feel good about leaving this place in much better shape than i found it.

i wouldn't, however, feel good about not giving thanks where thanks is due, so i need to add a ginormous FUCK YOU (whoops--typo) THANK YOU to: the members of the iowa city community school district school board and their fearless leader, The Superintendent, the narcissistic city high promoters who will see city high "beat" west high regardless of logic and expense, and last but not least to that nice lady at the ICCSD offices that i *begged* to let gus transfer to the high school that better suits his needs...the same nice lady who gleefully refused because they know what is best for us.  y'all have done a smashing job of doing what's right for our family and plenty of others in our neighborhood.  don't break your arm patting yourself on the back.

i'm sure at some point i won't be quite so pissed about being made to list my house less than six weeks since returning from stockholm, but today is not that day. bring on tomorrow.