gerisullivan | Words that just don't go together

SuperHero Cthulu Plush. I now own one. I may end up packing in my luggage for my unexpected second trip east this month, since the house is still being shown and I certainly can't leave it on display here. The braided hemp dragon I picked up at the Renaissance Festival last month is weird, but arty-looking enough to have out. SuperHero Cthulu as a stuffed creature isn't at all arty. It's just utterly bizarre.

It's far from the only bizarre thing in my life these days. I'm seriously contemplating making an offer on a house that has no basement, and no inside storage space to speak of. There's a decent amount of outside storage; the 2-car garage is distinctly over-sized. I've figured out how to turn one of the inside rooms into a storage area, though even that is a kludge, and one I'm not sure will work in the long run. It's just that I want the rest of the house, and its location. I want to live there, work there, and entertain there whenever that works out. Even without a basement. Utterly weird.

The good news is that I'm looking at other houses tomorrow. Maybe one of those will have its own set of heart-tugging features as well as enough practicalities to make it worth considering.

Mine still hasn't sold, so all house-hunting remains solidly in the arena of anticipation rather than actuality. And that's the report du jour from Toad Hall.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A friend of mine from college makes and sells them. http://www.toyvault.com.

B

Cool. The company I've done gaming huckstering for was one of their first big clients.

Their web page thinks SuperHero Cthulhu is still "Coming Soon." Along with Secret Agent Cthulhu.

Much as I prefer to spell things correctly, I somehow find it reassuring that I didn't know how to spell Cthulhu. Even if I did learn how to make Cthulhu Peeps at this past Minicon....

SuperHero Cthulhu is still "Coming Soon."

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I think I would very much like to see a picture of that Cthulhu.

I expect this can be arranged. By me, even, though not until next week at the earliest. My SuperHero Cthulhu is currently 1000+ miles away, tucked out of sight in a suitcase.

In the meanwhile, think purple and yellow standard superhero costume. Eye mask, cape,form fitting. On Cthulhu. That's the important part: on Cthulhu.

I will observe that "Catholic" is the first suggested spelling for "Cthulhu" in the Live Journal spellchecker. Which isn't as bad as the Guaranteed Overnight Delivery semis I keep seeing on the freeway around Hartford. The back doors are emblazoned "G.O.D." with "1-800-DIAL GOD" underneath.

Where is the basement-less dreamhouse? (I'm trying to figure out how close we're likely to be when you move.)

It's in Southwick, MA, which is in the "Jog." That's the part of the state that keeps Massachusetts from sliding into the ocean.

Today I saw Belchertown, MA, which is a little northeast of Springfield rather than a little southwest. It's also very nice, and somewhat more convenient to Boston without being horribly less convenient to New York. I like both Ware and Belchertown.

I think we're talking about 3 hours from you -- more during busy traffic times.

I would think a Cthulhu plush is no more bizarre than some of the characters who use to inhabit the Idea mailing list.

When we lived in Tennessee, I missed having a basement, having grown up in New York with one. No inside storage space? I could not deal with that. Does the present owner have shelves or something? Many of our neighbors use their garages for storage and they can't fit a car in. We've never done that. I like being able to drive in and get out of the car out of the weather. I also like not having to clean snow off the car the few times it snows here. And I especially like not having to dig the car out of the driveway or the street when it snows. Considering the change in temperatures during the year, I would think you'd have to be very careful what was stored there.

A garage I can park my car in is one of the requirements, though I keep finding houses that don't have a garage. Much as I'm saying, "it's easier to add a garage than a basement," thinking I'll have the money to add a garage anytime soon is distinctly on the wishful side of my thinking.

There's a token bit of space that could be used for storage in the indoor utility room -- cupboards above the washer and dryer, plus a corner that's currently housing an upright freezer. If I end up with the Southwick house (not all *that* likely, but not impossible, either), I'll designate one of the three downstairs bedrooms as a storeroom. I'll still end up storing more than I would like in the garage. In addition to the temperature issue, anything stored out there has to be critter-proof. Rubbermaid totes, for sure, but maybe some tightly-constructed metal cupboards, too.

Having a house with no storage (what does that mean anyway? No closets? No cabinets?) would really get you to continue the decluttering and possession management you've been thinking of for the last many years.

K. [likes basements, generally, like everyone who grew up with one]

The interior closets are standard bedroom- and hall-sized, rather than anything spacious. There's no obvious place to put the Christmas decorations...or however much of the traveling mug collection I bring east and related party-kit supplies. Then there's my usual 20-30+ boxes of unsorted papers, fanzine prep files, unfiled fanzines, PROmote client files, etc. etc. et cetera.

There are bookshelves, and places for more bookshelves. There are what look to be an adequate number of kitchen cabinets for my kitchen stuff, but that leaves the question of the crystal and related fancy dishes that have lived in the built-in buffet for the past 20 years. Those cupboards are small, but there are 4 of them, with 2 shelves each, plus the drawers.

You're absolutely right, though. Getting this house would force even more decluttering. There isn't an enclosed porch that old sofas can mosey their way on to, or a back attic that can hold countless boxes...or a basement that can accommodate a hundred cases of Fibertone paper along with a dozen mimeographs and a darkroom in addition to the usual basement workshop and ample storage areas. The question now is to determine the actual room sizes with the laser measure I picked up last night -- look, ma, new toy! And to figure out whether the room I have in mind could be transformed into an effective storeroom. And whether that could possibly be enough.

I saw a house today that skirts close to having the same problem, but it's 400 square feet larger, already has a real, concrete floor storeroom, and also has far more closets and other storage areas than the house that's got my heart going pitapat.

Thanks to all for your comments. Thinking about this stuff via my fingertips is very helpful!

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