There is a lot to learn about becoming a first-time homeowner. But I have a bit of time as I’m early in the journey, but it’s something I am pretty determined to do this year. It makes sense from a financial perspective, and even more so from mental and physical health perspective. I need the security of a permanent home, not one at the whims of landlord or a dilapidated, moldy building while I’m the director of an important state government agency making good money. I loved my years living in the city and spending my weekends in the wilderness, but all good things must come to an end, to be birthed into new things.

Good evening! Mostly cloudy and 34 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ There is a west-southwest breeze at 10 mph. 🍃. There is a dusting of snow on the ground. ☃ Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 6 pm. ☃️

It’s an exciting time to be me, but also so scary. 🤯 I just keep looking around at things, knowing that it might not be tomorrow that it’s the last time I have a view, but much in my life that I once new and treasured will soon be gone. Like those final days in my office in Alfred E Smith Building when there was times I would just stare into my sunlight-filled corner office, that was increasingly packed up and empty, and out of the of windows at the sweeping views of the Hudson River and Downtown Albany. Knowing it would be gone when I moved to the suburban office in Menands. 😞

Getting out of this apartment will be good for me. 🏚 My licensed mental health counselor identified this as a major problem — and action I should be taking — three years ago. Maybe I should have kept going to see him, but it became a major expense in time and cost. 👩‍⚕️ It won’t happen tomorrow, and I’ll have to deal with new landlord until things are closed, which is likely many months away as I’m at the start of the journey. The guy has made it almost impossible to pay him except through his personal Venmo (or via human bank teller at a specific bank only during Monday through Friday, 9-4 PM), of him in a swimming pool and cigar in his mouth, which he uses in exchange to buy beer for his friends at the bar. 🍻 🚬 Sounds like fun, but certainly not respect. No phone number or address, just an email in case of emergencies. One that he doesn’t reply to emails. 📴  Yeah, that kind of landlord. When I own a home, I’ll miss the weekends in the wilderness, riding back and forth to work, and all the niceties of living in the city — walk to the library and park, but getting out of city will be good for me. But having a garden, livestock, a place for bonfires in backyard, and a wood stove it will be great. 🔥 🐐 🐔

Tonight will have a chance of snow showers, mainly before 3am. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 23 degrees at 6am. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around March 5th. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. In 2023, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 23 degrees. The record low of -07 occurred back in 1878.

Today I rode out to Voorheesville 🚲 and then went down to the library. Filled out more mortgage applications, 📞 chatted with another mortgage broker for a while on the phone. Spent a lot of time reading about personal finance, home ownership, and the process of buying a home. I’m on my third full-length e-book on this topic since Friday night. 📚 I’ve been quite the bookworm lately. Did more reading about my legal rights as a renter, and how to protect myself from the new landlord. Maybe I shouldn’t be so scared of him, but he reminds me of so many of school yard bullies of years past. But I have the law on my side, though I don’t trust this guy, so I am going to be real careful paying him, make sure I get receipts for all payments. Had red lentil soup for dinner, and white beans with leftover chilly for lunch. I’ve been exhausted from all the stress of it all. 😟 I’ve not been sleeping well. Maybe I’ll need more mental help as I go through this process. Good things are going to happen.

Tonight will have a Waxing Gibbous 🌔 Moon with 72% illuminated. At 4 PM, the moon was in the east (89°) at an altitude of 42° from the horizon, some 240,347 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. 🚀 At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by August 19^th. Buckle up for safety! 💺 The Snow ❄ Moon is on Saturday, February 24. The darkest hour is at 12:10 am, followed by dawn at 6:21 am, and sun starting to rise at 6:50 am in the east-southeast (106°) and last for 3 minutes Sunrise is one minute and 26 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 7:29 am with sun in the east-southeast (112°). Tonight will have 13 hours and 13 minutes of darkness, a decrease of 2 minutes and 44 seconds over last night.

Washington’s Birthday will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 31 degrees at 3pm. Six degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 47 degrees. The record high of 66 was set in 1981. 11.4 inches of snow fell back in 1972.❄

Another chilly day tomorrow, 🌬 so maybe I didn’t miss out on much by choosing to stay in town. 🏕 It’s good to save money, big purchases ahead, lol. Really hoping to catch up with the landlord tomorrow and see if I can get answers to my questions I emailed him when he stops by. ✉️ Hard to say for sure, as I’m going to go grocery shopping in morning 🛒, then maybe for a hike mid-afternoon and then out to the folks house 👪 for Sunday dinner, a day late due to the holiday weekend.

In four weeks on March 17 the sun will be setting in the west (270°) at 7:06 pm (Daylight Savings Time),🌄 which is one hour, 34 minutes and 9 seconds later then today. In 2023 on that day, we had rain showers, cloudy and temperatures between 47 and 32 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 45 and 26 degrees. The record high of 75 degrees was set back in 1990.

Looking ahead, tommorow is Presidents Day 🧓, Daylight Savings Time 🌆 is in 3 weeks, St. Patrick’s Day 🍀 is in 4 weeks, 7:30 PM Sunset 🌇 is in 7 weeks, Cinco de Mayo 🤠 is in 11 weeks, Mothers Day 👩‍ is in 12 weeks, Fathers Day 👨 is in 16 weeks, Primary Day 🗳️ is in 4 months, National Nude Day 👱 is in 21 weeks, Average High 70 🎑 is in 28 weeks, September 🍎 is in 28 weeks, 7 PM Sunset 🌆 is in 7 months, Autumn 🍂 is in 31 weeks, December 🎄 is in 41 weeks, Bill of Rights Day 📜 is in 43 weeks, Bake Cookies Day 🍪 is in 10 months and Days are Getting Longer ☀️ is in 44 weeks.