We met with the rental agent to start the process of renting our house out. Both Noodles and I were feeling a bit guilty. The last time he was out, he had made two suggestions: paint the place and add a shower. In the past four months we've done neither. Well, I did paint the new porch and a wall I mended down in the basement, but as for the main living area... nada. The closest I've gotten is to buy a can of paint for the kitchen. And the shower.... well, we all but wrote that off after the porch ran way over budget.

Anyway, guilt aside, it was interesting to actually start the process. It's a whole different mindset, really. Come August, the house won't be our home, just an asset to be maintain and used. Someone else will creaking the floorboards and dropping the shades to blunt the afternoon sun. As we were discussing restrictions we would place on potential renters--an affront to the civil libertarian in me, but something the breadwinner in me can live with--Noodles let slip a preference to renting to a family. The rental agent gave her a verbal slap on the wrist, pointing out the illegality of discriminating against a potential renter's family status. Who would've thought that it would be so easy to be prejudiced? I guess thinking like a landlord is just another change we'll be making. (Actually, I should be fair to Noodles and mention that the issue we were talking about was the number of residents we would rent to. Logically, two parents and three young'uns would fit better into the house than five adults.)

So now this landlord in training has three weeks to make a serious dent in the painting process before they put the home on the market. Of course, the highest paying potential renters--the ones for whom you want the place to look nicest--will be courted first, which makes getting things done all the more crucial. I'm beginning to think that if I do manage to get the tasks before me done on time, I'll be spending the last couple of weeks before departure twiddling my thumbs.