Autumn is here. Or, should I say, fall.

No news re the BP biofuels website position.  I will chase this week.  Upon reviewing my i/v, I suspect  that I will not get it.  They wanted an 'independent' editor but I suspect that my views on biofuels may be slightly too sceptical for them.  We shall see.

As for the Princeton University job, the application, went in on 22 August and I have heard nothing.  If you phone up, the message makes it clear that they will not comment or give information on the status of the application.  You know about it only if they contact you for an i/v or you see the vacancy has disappeared from their website - which it has yet to do.

I did hear the Director of the Institution seeking to fill the spot at a Rutgers event a couple of weeks ago, and asked a reasonably intelligent question at her lecture.  I have been tempted to follow up directly with her but had hoped to get some resolution on the other applications first.  If I do not get the website position, I will do so.

No milk in my tea; I am a tea drinker and have always drank it with milk.  No more.  We have replaced dairy milk with soy milk so that we have no mistakes with Joey's diet.  Tea and soy milk do not go together so I am forced to drink my tea black.  Yet another sacrifice!

So the lawyer received a 'variance' for the front of the house, allowing it to approach the house by less than 50 ft.  But the house is still on contravention of zoning laws at back, albeit by a small amount.  More importantly, perhaps is the fact that it might be very difficult to get agreement to any extension of the house.  We were not planning to but it would almost certainly reduce the sale value of the house.

Anne also now has a 'bad feeling' about this house.  Too much has gone wrong with this purchase.  So we shall not buy, and will tell our lawyer so on Monday.  Pia and William, the owners who we know, will of course be disappointed. He has already moved to his new job in Iowa and they had planned to have the movers in Monday, with Pia and Stella then following.  We assume that they too were unaware of these problems when they bought 2 years ago, perhaps because their lawyer simply did not do a good job.  They too are victims and have our sympathy but we must look after our own interests.  

So, where too now?  We had hoped to stay in 2nd Street, or at least in Hopewell.  We could buy the house we are currently renting but it would need quite a bit of work and we would have to live in it whilst construction was going on.  One of the reasons why we wanted to stay here was because of the kids on the block but, if we are honest, Joey's best mate here, Chris, will probably leave soon anyway, as they are trying to sell.  Jack, from 1st Street, plays well with both our kids but is not around so much and the bond between him and Joey is not that strong.  Lindon, the boy next door who is Izzy's age, will be moving on once they find a place to buy and Grace, the wee girl behind us in only around at weekends.  Her and Izzy get on great together and it would be sad to not be close to her but Izzy makes friends easily so we are not so worried about that.

So, back to the house at 39 Main Street, Pennington.  Oldish (1860) and lovely, we both liked it but the upstairs configuration didn't quite work.  My brilliant wife thinks that she has come up with a solution, by extending over the back.  The garden is lovely and it would be within walking/cycling distance from school and many other attractions.  So our attention will return to Pennington.

Damn.  Lawyer just called.  Seems like the house we want to buy down the road was built in contradiction of local planning laws ie that the actual house must be 50 feet from the public sidewalk.  It is only 42 feet.  She is looking to see if there was ever a 'variance' issued by the local Boro to allow this but has not come across it yet.  This would be a deal breaker.  Unlikely that the Boro would insist that the house be torn down but it would be a pain to have to go through the system to get a variance and there is no guarantee that one would be given.  Hopefully, somebody will dig up a variance but............

Just back from a 45 min bike ride.  Feels good but I need to do much more to get fit!    Back to the gym?

Joey is enjoying art and his drawing and painting are coming on quite nicely.  No Monet, perhaps, but not bad!

http://www.artsonia.com/museum/art.asp?id=19966254

Created by Joey3268 in Grade 2 at The Cambridge School Part of a school project called The Great Wave Published on October 02 by Melissa Mack (Joey3268's teacher) Joey3268 also has 1 other artwork published online!