I have this trick that more recently, people call “The Secret”. It’s not really a secret and I don’t want to call it that because I never read the book. Also, it sounds dumb. This trick is simply asking for what you want and being as specific as possible. Seems that whenever I do this, commit my desires to paper or embedded thought, they come true. For example, at one point in my life I was frustrated with dating, hating all the idiots who’d slithered into my life and was ready for a change. As I was walking to work one day, I began thinking specifically about what I wanted out of a mate: Funny, smart, have common interests, doesn’t have to have the same taste in music as me, has a car, is responsible, already has a career, and adores me. If I’d known that two weeks later I would meet my husband AJB, who is all of those things, I might have asked for David Bowie. Just kidding babe. I love you

I believe this system works. Call it whatever you want. Whenever I’m vague things don’t turn out the way I envisioned them. By the way, this also doesn’t seem to work for gifties like a new car radio or new lenses for my camera, although this does work when it’s close to my birthday or Christmas. Go figure.

With this in mind, I’ve been trying to get specific about what I want in a new house. AJB and I get a do-over and are on the market. What do I want? When it came to this house, I asked for a house I didn’t hate – and I don’t hate this house. This time, I’m getting detailed.

I want:

A house with 3 bedrooms and two office spaces – office spaces can be located off the main house (on property), but will need to be insulated and be a proper working environment – not a garage; unless it’s a converted garage. A formal dining room and a kitchen large enough to cook a family meal in. Specifically, I want lots of counter space. I want a built-in breakfast nook. I’d prefer a kitchen with 1940′s to 1950′s style upgrades with newer equipment. I like white cabinets in the kitchen. The bedrooms don’t have to be large, but I want a big walk-in closet. I want bathrooms like the kind you see in Martha Stewart Magazine, you know, where everything looks like it was bought at Restoration Hardware. I want pretty tile and Craftsman fixtures in the bathroom, none of this jacked-up Middle-Eastern-friendly tile you see everyone using. I don’t want to have to re-do the bathrooms. I want hardwood floors throughout the house, but won’t complain if some parts have carpeting. The house must be a Craftsman built between 1901 and 1920 with lots of original details. Is a Batchelder tile fireplace too much to ask for? I want that too. We like Clinker Brick or River Rock as details on the front of the house. A want a nice sized backyard with enough room for fruit trees and a small Victory garden; a place we can hang out in during the Spring and Summer months. This house should be located on a quiet, safe, tree-lined street with trees that look like Bruce Ave. in Glendale. No junky neighbors, no busy streets; preferably in the Historic Highlands or Madison Heights area, but as long as the other conditions are met, the neighborhood is flexible. I want a nice little front yard with grass. I want a wrap around porch or a porch large enough that we can sit on and watch the world go by; maybe even a porch swing. I want this house to be up to date with electrical and plumbing and not require too much work to fix up. There shouldn’t be any structural problems, it should have central air and heating. Most importantly, this house should take my breath away and make me feel at home. It should be comfortable and it should feel like the house I was meant to live in.

So far that’s it. If I come up with more, I’ll add it later. I may also start collecting photos. OK Universe…get to work.