5 years ago my wife saw an online ad for an apartment in a housing co-op. We had no idea what cooperative housing was, but we needed a place to live and we couldn’t afford much, so we answered the ad. Yesterday I handed in my keys, thus ending what I would previously have called one […]
Category Archives: The Co-op
Paying Two Rents, Got Nowhere to Sleep
Well, we did it, We moved. Sort of. Mostly. Long story. Now where is the perfect place to tell a long story….? Hmmmmmm…… We were going to move in July, but that’s when they found the asbestos. We changed our moving date to the end of July, which was when they found the other asbestos. Now […]
What My Kids Did When I Told Them We Were Moving
Did I mention that we were moving? No, I didn’t, because it was not public knowledge until quite recently. But now that it has been announced in the church’s annual report and I have had several congregation members ask me about it, I feel safe to finally announce that next month we will be leaving […]
Twelve Adventures: #2 – Lake Placid Olympic Sports Complex
When 2015 rolled into 2016 almost 40 days ago, my family made the decision that this was going to be the year for adventuring. We have committed to having 12 epic adventures, which boils down to one a month. Now, we could skip one month and double up on another, but that can get dangerous. […]
Roots and Wings; Boots and Swings
“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other wings.” So said the inspirational poster hung somewhere in my childhood, the reading of which seemed so profound to me at the time, and the truth of which is clear to me only now. Suddenly, […]
We Built a Playground! (or What it Means to Live in a Co-op)
If you wanted to see the true cooperative spirit in action, all you had to do was to be in our courtyard this weekend for a glimpse of a functional community doing what it was designed to do. All it took was a project. In case you didn’t know by now, I live in a […]
Instant Playground – Just Add Imagination
Yesterday, our courtyard mysteriously filled up with cardboard boxes and a city was built. Hideouts were constructed, alliances were formed, and a world was created. Legend tells of a kitchen that was installed, causing the appearance of the boxes, but the truth may never be known. Regardless, there was fun to be had, and it was […]
The Door to Another Door
To get to the laundry room here at the co-op you need a special key given out only to members. We don’t want just anyone coming in and washing their clothes for our low members-only rates. The key unlocks a door that leads into a small space with a large boiler, some gardening tools, and […]