4020 Shady Oak Road

Minnetonka, MN

1938-2013

RIP

My husband and I went over to 4020 today to get our remaining items. I thought I would be fine.  I wasn’t.  I broke down right when I walked in.

I know it is almost over, I understand.  I walked around the backyard and thought about all of the landscaping we had done.  I looked out at Lake Dimple and saw all of the ducks that have not flown south yet.

I went through the house a few times, opened all drawers and closets to make sure we had not forgotten anything.  My husband loaded the van with paint and miscellaneous items the packers could not pack.  He took down a custom valance we had made for our family room.

I started sweeping the kitchen and wiping the counters down.  I didn’t know what else to do.  The kitchen was my domain.  It was my space and I planned every inch of it from the pantry to the recycling bins.  And then I just started crying.

All that time we spent planning our remodel, living through the renovation, picking paint colors, picking out light fixtures etc. All to be just taken away for a frontage road that was added to a bigger project.  It is just so sad.  We took an old home that needed work and added quality and brought it back to it’s luster.  We re-did every room.  We had the original oak floors re-done, we repainted every wall and ceilings, we gutted the kitchen and enlarged it with custom cabinets and italian porcelian tile, I could go on and on. It doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter.  That is what is really sad.  Once condemed, it is the governments property.  4020 will be owned by the county on Friday.  The day after tomorrow.

You know what else sucks?  They do not have to pay us or our mortgage.  That was my issue yesterday.  We were trying to have them pay at least our mortgage by Monday so we would not have to pay double again (lease and mortgage), but they will not wire funds.  Apparently that method of payment is not in the rule book.

When you do not accept the offer, they deposit the funds (the last written offer received) with the courts and then you (your attorney at this point) request how the funds should be distributed.  These things move very slowly.  Our attorney has worked with the county to get a check to us on Friday and everyone made it very clear this is probably an exception.

Doesn’t matter at this point, funds will not clear in time and we have to make this months mortgage payment.  Not fair. In fact, we have to go pick up the check and then over night it to our mortgage company, more time off work.  Then our mortgage company has reimburse us the difference.  I guess we are learning the meaning of “red tape”.

When we picked up the kid’s from school today we asked them if they wanted to go to 4020 one last time, they either had tonight or tomorrow night.  They want to sleep on it.  Our oldest asked me what it looks like, I told him it looks nice, just empty.  Then he asked about his room and I looked at him and saw tears rolling down his face.  Not fair.

This is just not fair. Very sad day.

~Susan

This Thursday will be three weeks in our rental home.  We are pretty much moved and settled in.  I unpacked and set up everything in the basement this past weekend.  A few boxes here and there are left.  The garage is pretty full, but will be emptied when our shed is moved over.

The shed was supposed to be here by now, but the day it was to be moved it snowed.  Yes, we do live in Minnesota. These things happen.  Hopefully, in the next few days the shed will be here and we can clean out the garage.

Some boxes are just being stored in the furnance room and other closet space.  I have boxes and boxes of china, crystal, porcelain and tea cups.  They have been stored for years.  We use to have all of these boxes in our eves at 4020.  I packed up my antique breakables when the kid’s were born and was never able to unpack them because we have known we would be moving.

I love antiques.  I love old things.  I have been “antiquing” since college and there are some things I just cannot donate.  We acquired a lot of antique furniture when we lived in Indiana that I am not ready to part with.  I guess it will go into the shed.

I have always liked fine china and porcelain and have a collection of tea cups.  I have also inherited pieces that I cannot just give away at this time.  I want to use these pieces, or at least put them out, but our circumstances will not allow it, so they will stay in their boxes.

We also have so many photographs that need to be organized and put in books.  I have boxes of mementos from our parents who are all deceased that I need to organize and put aside for our children when they are older.  I never organized it because each year was wait and see if we have to move.  It was a wait year by year thing because of politics and money.  We were in limbo for eight years, waiting on the powers to be to tell us when we had to move.  I cannot believe the things I put on hold, like going through these boxes.

Time goes by so fast, yet the process seemed so slow.  Can’t blame one person, it is the whole system and process.  The county is the entity that condemed us, but it was the city who approved the project in the first place.

Interesting, our youngest, who is eight, can pronounce “eminent domain” perfectly.  He keeps asking me when I am on the computer if I am writing about “eminent domain”.  I tell him I am.

Then, one day recently, he asked me when he would be able to meet “Eminent Domain”.  Okay, now what do I tell him?  How do I teach this?

One of my best friends, that I refer to as one of my fab four, told me that when she was young, her parents told her that her Grandfather sold the farm for peanuts.  She said for years, she literally thought her Grandfather got bags of peanuts for the farm.

We are not settling for peanuts.  Just not sure how to explain this to my kids…

~Susan

One week from today, the county will own our home.  Wow.  This is so real and unreal at the same time.  I know I said it before, but I cannot believe this happened to us.  I cannot believe this happens to anyone.

A week ago I came across another story about eminent domain, this one is being told by a young man who I believe is a high school senior.  His email was on his website and I sent him a brief email to try to connect and learn more about his story.  He replied this morning and we will hopefully connect and I can learn more about what his story is and what he has gone through. He did tell me his family is loosing their home within the year.

Our rainbow playset was moved over from 4020 this morning.  Shed should be moved Monday or Tuesday.  I cannot believe what we have done and had done in the last two weeks. This is insane.

Soon, I will not be writing on a regular basis, but rather going into the background story and writing under that tab.  There will not be much to write about once next Friday comes.  I am sure I will have updates from time to time, but soon it will be about the past eight years that will lead up to now.

Frustrating today about our mortgage.  I can’t even get into details, but too many people not knowing what to do, trying to figure it out.  Bottom line, not sure our mortgage will be paid by next Friday.  I gave all of the information to our attorney who submitted it with the county attorney.  I could say so much, better not.  I can handle this myself, very frustrating.  I have my documentation.  Again, who pays me for my time and frustration?

Yep, no one.  How many hours have I spent on documentation?  Eight years of hours.  I basically have been off the past two weeks besides going to continuing education and meetings.  Who pays me for my time?

Exactly, no one.

Enough for tonight.

~Susan

Okay, it is another day.  I am near the count down of loosing home ownership to eminenent domain and I am okay. What does that mean?  Saying your okay is like saying you are “fine”.

My Fab Four and I have had many conversations of the “meaning of fine”, it’s like the mathamatician talking about pi.  Fine is, well fine is never fine.

You either get it or you don’t.

Fine is what it is and simple is what simple does.

And life is what you do about it. What you make of it and how you deal what is dealt to you.

Yesterday, last evening, before my dinner (I was at a work meeting), I went outside of the hotel, a very nice hotel by the way, to call my husband. I was talking on my cell phone when a homeless man sat on the bench next to me.

Memories of when I spent a week in Chicago with one of my Fab Four working with the homeless over Thanksgiving Break in the eighties in Chicago.

We were so smart and so naive.  However, we learned so much and we still talk about it.

I hung up the phone with my husband.  I looked at the man on the bench.  I asked him if he was sleeping outside tonight.  He said “yes”.

I gave him $20.00 and walked inside.

Wow. I am only loosing my dream home to emient domain,. It could be worse.

We have been in our rental for just over a week. We are getting settled.  Most rooms are put together and functioning.  I unpacked and put the kid’s rooms together first.  I needed to make sure they felt at home.  Their posters are on their walls and everything is out of boxes.

After their rooms, it was the kitchen.  We need to be able to function and cook.  Living room, dining and family room were next.  Our room took a while because I had to go through my clothes a second time.  I donated a lot prior to our move and got rid of more clothes while unpacking.  Too many clothes and shoes.

We get together every year with two families who are close friends for halloween.  This year we hosted and made dinner.  The kids went trick or treating in our new neighborhood.  We also had a out of town guest overnight on Saturday.  One of my fab four had a layover in Minneapolis and had a day to come over.  We actually went over to 4020, since she will not ever see it again.

It was really weird.  I had not been there since the movers came a week ago Thursday.  I did okay and did not break down.  The house doesn’t look so nice.  It’s hard to leave it like it is.  It’s a respect thing, take care of what you have.  If I had time, I would go back and clean up the yard.

My husband was over at 4020 on Saturday with a few of his buddies finishing up things.  They had to take a section of the fence down so the shed can be moved this week.  They also had to cut down a large shrub that had been there since before we bought the home.  That was sad.  Inside, the carpet going downstairs has a large stain from when they moved the basement refrigerator.

Moving is hard no matter what.  Moving because you want to and moving because you have to, are two different ballgames.  It is hard to believe the end finally came for us at 4020.  Believe it our not, I feel okay.  It is somewhat of a relief to move on.  It is like my stress and anxiety melted away when I left.  Our friends who have been over to our new place said I look much better.  I am trying to be positive and I really do feel okay.

Our shed and rainbow playset will be moved this week.  A few things are left to pick up such as paint and things the movers could not move.  My husband will do the final walk through with the County on the 15th of this month.  I will not be there for that.

Probably need to go back one more time.  Our youngest blurted out at dinner last night that he has to go back to give the “pee tree” a hug.

~Susan

Wow.  I do not know where the week went.  Packers came a week ago Wednesday, movers started last Thursday when I had my break down and I had continuing education last Friday for half a day.

Movers were done on Saturday and in between everything I have been unpacking and putting rooms together.  The movers were suppose to unpack us, but there is only so much they can unpack.  We had to tell them to stop because there was no room to put anything and we didn’t know where it was going to go.

So, we have been unpacking and putting things away.  I would guess at least for 10 hours each day. I also had meetings for half of Tuesday and half of Wednesday.  We are getting everything put away and donating a lot.  I thought we donated a lot before we moved, but now at a second chance, we are getting rid of more.  It actually feels good to lighten the load.  We all have too much stuff.  It is amazing at how much stuff we accumalate.

I haven’t been back to 4020 Shady Oak Road, my house until the 15th of November, since I came here last Thursday.  I feel good and have keep occupied with putting this house in order and going to my meetings for work.  Actually, I feel better than good, I am finally ready to move on. I have a new attitude and it is all good.

I loved my house.  My heart and soul went into my house.  We did so much work to our house and we were not offered anything near what it would take to buy a comparable or to build a similar size/quality/lot that we had.  But, the end finally came and I know I need to move on.

And, I have.  I really needed to get out of my condemmed home to move on.  I cannot believe how my anxiety went away by walking out the door.  It is crazy what this process does to you.  I do not wish this on anyone and I feel for those who go through this.

So many emotions over eight years.  So many people that shared our home during Holidays, dinner parties and events.  Two exchange students and their friends, all hanging out at the home everyone knew we were loosing.  People from around the globe have been at our house…

I know that I have only been able to do this because I have the best employees keeping my business up and running. They have been great and know that I have to get my house in order for me and my children.  I need to plan an awesome Holiday party for the office.  I can’t imagine if I was not self-employed.  The stress, the time, the move, all would have made me probably loose my job if I was working for someone else.

Okay, three of my “fab four” have called tonight.  I was on the phone for a while. Long enough for my husband to go to bed.

~Susan

On my last post I was completly exhausted.  Not sure how much it made sense.  We have been living in our rental home since Thursday. That was the day that after I showered I went down and all my furniture and belongings were gone. That was my last melt down.

I have not been back.  My husband has. He does not want me to go back.  I have to go back one more time.  Even if I break down, it is okay.  It is a process.  I get it.

Life is crazy for us.  I don’t even know what time or day it is.  Well, to a point.  I know it is Sunday and I should work tomorrow and I have meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, which I would love not to go to, but have to.

I finally showered today.  Had not cleaned up since Friday when I had continuing eduacation.  No make-up, hair pulled back, wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

Why would I do anything to unpack and sweat?

This is so much work.  This sucks.  I had everything perfect for our world and then it is just taken away.  Funny thing, I was at continuing education on Friday through Kaplin and the instructor told us they had moved locations because a Walmart was going into the strip mall they previous occupied.  I am sure I was the only one in the room who could relate. I didn’t bother to tell my story.

Yes, I am very tired of telling my story. Can’t start from the beginning.  I can continue this.  Which is interesting.  I know that I am getting 3-5 users a day.  Really?   Are you all spam? I don’t know your who you are and why you are signing up.  I know people are reading this, but it isn’t really a forum and sympathy and empathy are certainly coming to me personally, but not on the blog.

So, who is signing up?  Just curious.

~Susan

I have to go retro-spec as I have not had internet service.  My last post was a week ago Thursday. I was going to write everyday execept we had a hiccup. My husband had called our phone service over a month ago, and they pushed out the change as far as they could.  They had told told him to call if we needed the date extended.

So many things to cordinate with a move…

Well, he forgot to call and our phone and computer was shut and moved to our rental.

Transition is hard.  This is exhausting. Then things came so fast.

We have until November 15th, 2013.  That is when the County owns our home officially due to eminent domain.

But, we had to move.  Today is October 25th, 2013 and I am exhausted.  We have been in the process of moving and it is awful.

Yesterday, I woke up to a lot of people in my home.  I showered and then went downstairs, everything was gone.

I went upstairs to my bathroom and cried.  I just cried.

And I thought of the people who made my fate.

~Susan

We are in the final count down.  The past eight years of knowing we would be forced to move have come down to the next thirty days.

On November 15th, 2013 we will no longer be homeowners.  Not by choice, but by eminent domain.  In thirty days Hennepin County will own my dream home.

We are the sixth and final owners of 4020 Shady Oak Road.  I have photos of the home being built in the thirties with completion in 1938.

We knew the son of the original owner and we know his son and grand-daughter.

We know the history and the bones of this house.  Soon, very soon, we will only have photos and memories of the past fifteen years here.

Seventy-five years and six families of memories for the house…

~Susan