Three Year Anniversary

While we have lived in New York City for three and a half years, we have only been in our condo for three years, as of July 26. I went back and looked at the photos from the very beginning of our journey to settle into the condo. When we first found this place, it was filled with all of the construction materials for the apartments below us, but that didn't deter us. We fell in love with the views and decided that this was the place for us. Buying a condo in New York is interesting, especially in a new building. You can set a closing date, but whether or not the building management company actually meets that deadline is pretty random. We had four closing dates and it would get to the day before we were supposed to close and they would cancel. Then I would have to re-schedule the movers, arrange to stay in our temporary housing for a little longer, and cancel all other appointments I had set up with utility companies etc. It was frustrating. Finally we get to July 26 and our attorney calls and says that he thinks it will really happen, but to sit by the phone. I wait and wait and then he calls and says, "be downtown with your certified check in 30 minutes." I scramble, run to the bank where they have the check waiting, grab a cab and turn the corner and the traffic is totally stopped. The cab driver turns around and says trust me? I nod and he turns around and goes in the exact opposite direction we needed to go. I kind of scream out, "I have to be at 100 Broadway by 1:00!" He turns around and smiles and says, "trust me." After going 15 blocks in the wrong direction, we hit the FDR and there is no traffic. He zips along, exits, winds through some tiny streets, and before I know it he turns around and says, "good luck." I jumped out and ran into the lawyer's office just as the clock struck one.
After the closing, I jumped on the subway and met Paul at our new home. The next day we moved in and the rest is history.
We never get tired of the views and find ourselves staring out the windows rather than doing our chores. While smaller than our other homes, we have managed to host many parties and family dinners and accommodate our children and grand children when they have come to visit.
It wouldn't be hard to fill up the guest room every night and for the first year, we were very willing hosts. With so many requests to stay at our place, we finally had to adopt a guest room policy which consists of three rules. 1. Family first. 2. We have to have met you before you can stay with us. 3. We have to be here. (Sorry, but if you aren't coming to see us you can't stay)
It's been a wonderful three years and I'll never forget my taxi driver who helped make this all possible.