A couple of days ago, I experienced what most people avoid and fear — an auto accident. I’ll spare you the details, but the end result is this: My pride and joy, my ever loyal and faithful partner, my trusty friend, my truck is gone. As a result of the impact, my 1999 GMC Sonoma was reduced to a wretched visage of its former self, with a twisted, smashed and broken front end, and it began its journey to that Elysium Junkyard in the Sky.
I consider myself lucky. Unlike Paul’s very scary and traumatic collision, I and the other drivers involved left the the scene of the accident without injury and all three of us were covered by insurance. My insurance company, in particular, has some of the best claims service I’ve ever experienced. Three business days after the accident, my truck has been inspected, declared a total loss, and I have a check to go toward the purchase of a new vehicle in hand. These factors will lead me to rate them highly when I fill out an Angie’s List report about their services.
But as I face the prospect of buying a new vehicle, most likely another truck, I’m sentimental for all the memories I made with Mabeliene (the never-spoken name I gave her when we first met). All the moving we helped my friends with; all the furniture we hauled together; the motorcycles we picked up and transported from places like Chicago, Cincinnati and Cicero, Ind., back to Indianapolis; and the road trips to Brown County State Park, Edinburgh, Ind., and Chicago and Michigan — in all, we spent 40,000 beautiful miles together. Most of all, I’ll miss the daily drives to and from work — though she had her minor problems like a leaky power-steering unit and misaligned driver’s side door, she was dependable and never let me down.
When I collected my personal possessions from the smashed and deformed shell of my beloved friend, I thanked her for doing her job of always getting where I needed to be and ultimately keeping me safe from danger.
Josh is an associate editor at
Angie's List magazine. He has two dogs, Simon and Clem, and likes Thai food, Portland, Ore., and riding his motorcycle. For the low price of $1.00 US, he will give you his sincere and succinct opinion about anything.
My husband John and I are preparing to move across the country to Colorado. While we would love to hire a moving company to pack all of our stuff in neat little packages, carefully load them onto a truck and meet us at our destination — where I’ll be sitting in a chair, martini in hand, merrily pointing to where I’d like them to place each box — we just don’t have the money for it. Continue reading ‘Renting a truck and moving West’
Lindsay is the publication assistant for
Angie's List magazine. She has a dog, Clio, whom she found on the street, pregnant, in front of the Blue House. Lindsay loves eating anything homemade, especially salads, and her favorite movie is The Constant Gardener. Coincidence? Her favorite place is the South of France.
Like Lindsay and YaShekia, I’m house-hunting. It’s for all the usual reasons — it’s a good investment, I’d like to have more space, and after a few years of renting, it’s time to take the next step and buy a home.
I’m not too picky. A safe neighborhood and good resale value are two of my top priorities, and of course I want a home that’s affordable and in good condition. But when it comes to the interior, there aren’t too many must-haves on my list. As long as the kitchen has enough room for a table and chairs, I don’t need a formal dining room. I don’t need a family room and a nicer living room, either — I don’t have that much furniture anyway. I’m not someone who simply has to have a fireplace. No dishwasher? No problem. (Although it certainly would be nice to have one.) But one of the main things I’m looking for has nothing to do with what’s inside the house: I want a fenced-in backyard for my dog. Continue reading ‘A house, a yard, a dog, and a dishwasher: House-hunting begins’
Liz is an associate editor at
Angie's List magazine. She enjoys eating chocolate chip ice cream on the beach after swimming. She also likes colder, drearier places like London.
Earlier this summer, I wrote about preparing to move from one great, beautiful home to a house that’s, well, soon to be great. Last week my wife and I took possession of our new house. We have our work cut out for us with the long list of to-do’s (or rather “never-gonna-do’s”) the previous owners left. Continue reading ‘Welcome to the jungle: Cleaning up our new house’
Tristan Schmid is host and producer of
List-en up!, the Angie's List podcast. When he's not sitting in front of a computer, working on websites, audio or video production, he stays occupied by taking his dogs for walks, helping
homeless animals find families, and skiing.
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A colleague of mine is a runner. Actually, several of them are, but this particular individual surprised me when I saw him on the treadmill. No iPod, no headphones, no T.V. — he just hopped on and started running like there was no tomorrow. Needless to say, I was impressed. I “run” but I’m no “runner.” I just do it because it’s the quickest way for me to work up a sweat (takes about 13 seconds) and lose weight (takes about 3 weeks to lose 1 pound. How’s that for pathetic?). Continue reading ‘Sometimes, people surprise you’
Staci is an associate editor at
Angie's List magazine. Her favorite foods are sushi and chocolate (but not together). Staci enjoys mowing the lawn, and she can also make a mean s'more.
As I sit at my desk, I’m watching some of my co-workers pack up theirs. No, they aren’t leaving—well, not really. They’re just relocating to the third floor of the Blue House.
That’s right—it’s moving day here at Angie’s List. It’s actually a pretty common occurrence around here. With the way the company is growing (we had about 45 local magazines when I started working here a year and a half ago, and now we’re up to almost 75), we keep hiring more people, and we keep rearranging desks. Continue reading ‘Moving day’
Liz is an associate editor at
Angie's List magazine. She enjoys eating chocolate chip ice cream on the beach after swimming. She also likes colder, drearier places like London.
At 43 years old, I’ve decided to run away from home. I’m leaving behind my two children, my aging dog, my cozy home and my job. I’m taking my updated resume, a one-year lease on a new house, my cat and my future husband.
Next week I’m moving from Indiana to South Carolina. It’s not as bad as it sounds, though. My children are full-time college students, and at the ages of 18 and 21, they really don’t need me on a daily basis any longer. My 15-year-old dog is going to stay with “grandma and grandpa” where she receives constant attention and home-cooked meals. I’m replacing my three-bedroom ranch-style home for a three-bedroom house with a sun room, and I’m confident I can find a new job in the South. And in a few months, I’ll become a “Mrs.” on the beach. Continue reading ‘Running away from home’
Amy is a staff writer for
Angie's List magazine. She has a dog named Penny, a cat named Twinkie, and she loves to go boating with her boyfriend.
Fire is on my mind lately: visions of me waking up wreathed in smoke and flames or more likely, me going to bed and not waking up — ever.
Happy thoughts inspired by the bare wires dangling in my apartment and throughout the building, by the natural gas lines and the dripping water next to the Edison-era breaker boxes.
Water. Electricity. Water. Electricity. I’m not a licensed technician, but something tells me those two shouldn’t go together. Continue reading ‘Smoke signals’
Matthew is the senior editor for local affairs at
Angie’s List magazine. When he’s not at the Blue House, he enjoys reading and writing fiction, playing guitar and riding his bicycle.
Like fitness and puppies, certain themes run through the Angie’s List Blue House at any given time. And like Eric and Conor, I’ve caught the moving bug.
My wife and I have only been in our house for about two years (see pictures below), but thanks to the current housing market, we’ve found an affordable place right next to Broad Ripple Park, and we can’t pass it up. Continue reading ‘One door closes, another opens’
Tristan Schmid is host and producer of
List-en up!, the Angie's List podcast. When he's not sitting in front of a computer, working on websites, audio or video production, he stays occupied by taking his dogs for walks, helping
homeless animals find families, and skiing.
