There is a house I walk by occasionally that I absolutely love. It's old and run down but definitely art deco in a modest kind of way, with round balconies and a gold brick doorway. As a joke, I keep telling people this is my future house.

I say as a joke because I am a broke millennial. I have accepted my fate of never moving past paying rent for a place to live and spending the remainder of my minimalist income on avocado toast and oat milk lattes.

But recently, I saw a "For Sale" sign in front of the house and this is probably my only chance to ever see its art deco interior, if any is left, before it's all turned into a modern and soulless place.

I have called the seller and I overheard its asking price when they referred to it as the "1.1 million euro house". They asked twice if that was indeed the one I wanted to visit.

The visit date will be set next week.

Now, how do I sound like I'm the kind of person who doesn't flinch at the idea of spending a million euros on a house? What questions do I ask? What might they ask me in return? What are things I shouldn't say?

Some extra information:

• This is in Brussels, Belgium
• A permit was requested to split the house into 5 apartments (2 floors could be built above the existing 3)
• It was originally built as a single family home

Edit: this is the house

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I got a phone call last Monday about the house. They offered a visit that very day. So I quickly got ready. I tried to make myself look legit (thanks @boogetyboo@aussie.zone and @ultranaut@lemmy.world for the advice) by downloading the permit info, printing it and putting it inside a notebook. It was new and blank, so to make it look used, I added a few papers and paperclips sticking out and a big binder clip holding it open at a random page, where I took some notes: permit number, number of rooms, asking price.

I then met with the real estate guy, I felt apprehensive but excited. I greeted him and he asked if I was more interested in the single home or the apartment project. I said it would be apartments but I was open-minded about the single home. I told him the funds were coming from a relative. I asked if I could take photos for them. And then we started the tour.

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A big round staircase is the first thing I saw. Beautiful parquet with exotic wood. Round panels bringing light in here and there. One room still had big yellow flower wallpaper.

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My first thought was that the place was much bigger than it looked.

The basement was very damp and moldy in some places. The electrical system was very outdated.

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The gound floor still had a wooden built-in cabinet.

I saw a succession of big rooms, rounded edges, big windows. Lots of light.

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Next floor still had a bathroom with red tiles, a bidet and very old fixtures. A rusty balcony with windows rounded at the corners.

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I asked a little about the house. It was built in 1926, belonged to a doctor.

The plaster was falling off the walls, which were cracked in places. The house seems to have been unused for decades.

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The real estate guy told me he estimated the repairs to be probably around another million euros.

Next floor was much of the same, it had a very cool cast iron fireplace with rounded shelves. We walked on a pretty sizeable terrace and looked down at the garden. There was the nicest little staircase curving down to the (overgrown) garden that was just way too damaged to be saved. It was heartbreaking to see everything so broken and rusted. (I don't have photos of it, my bad.)

There was an old minuscule kitchen in a corner. It had sideways cabinets to save space.

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I asked about several things (thanks @eezeebee@lemmy.ca and @JaY_III@lemmy.ca for the suggestions), whether there was a humidity problem, whether the cracks were structural, whether the garage got flooded, whether that was asbestos around the basement pipes, and each time the real estate guy said "Hm, I don't know". Like thanks but you're not helping me in my decision.

At one point the guy said I could make a lower offer - like a million - if I wanted it as a single home.

Outside I said we'd keep in touch. I don't know how passable I was, but he did ask me if I was an architect, so maybe I had some credibility?

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So then I went home. I was happy that I finally got to see the house and that it still had stuff inside, but very sad that it is in the shape it is and that I can't save it.

I've been spending time in ancient cities and I'm wondering what the lore is around them. Was sculk a parasite? Did villagers build them? Are ancient cities related to trail ruins?

They're so intriguing to me, but I can't imagine how they got there

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/15234500

> *What makes a cardigan, Mr. Lebowski? * > > Knowing almost nothing about knitting before I started this project, I spent many months trying to recreate the original as faithfully as possible. > And you can try it yourself as well :) > > CAVEAT: I am not a designer, the pattern is only available in one size, and it can be a pretty difficult knit at times. > > BUT: it's free, and I can answer questions if you try your hands at making it! > > Raverly link (The Dude Copycat Cardigan)

*What makes a cardigan, Mr. Lebowski? *

Knowing almost nothing about knitting before I started this project, I spent many months trying to recreate the original as faithfully as possible. And you can try it yourself as well :)

CAVEAT: I am not a designer, the pattern is only available in one size, and it can be a pretty difficult knit at times.

BUT: it's free, and I can answer questions if you try your hands at making it!

Raverly link (The Dude Copycat Cardigan)

Illustration Credit & Copyright: HK (The League of Lost Causes)

Seen on NASA picture of the day on Mastodon

The maps took me so long to make I burned out and never finished the inside. I did have some banners for sale, I thought it would feel like browsing through posters.

(Please do let me know if there is a better place to post this.)

Ok, it's really silly, but I got a furby a few months ago and it sings a song called "Pizza rap" and there is this one part I cannot understand. I asked around me but no one has understood it so far (I'm not a native English speaker, which doesn't help).

I would really appreciate if someone could help me figure out the lyrics.

Here is a link to the song.

And here is what I have so far:

"All I think about is pizza

It's the perfect food it won't cause you amnesia [What]

[????? This part here ?????]

It all happened for Eat all the toppings on a single slice of pizza

Furby makin' dough

Furby makin' money

Furby kneads the dough

To put inside my tummy

Furby-nara sauce

Furby-rella cheese

Furby-roni too

-Hey! Hold the anchovies

Oh, sorry"

Edit: formatting

I just finished this cardigan and because it was a gift I tried really hard to make it look tidy.

The yarn is recycled yarn ("I used to be a pullover") in Murano green.

The pattern is adapted from the raglan pattern in Ann Budd's book "The knitter's handy book of sweater patterns."

Edit: a few more detail shots of the cardigan:

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Back of the zipper. I made a tiny strip to cover the zipper fabric.

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Front of the zipper. I knit a strip sideways along the entire edge of the front panels and folded it onto itself to make a roll that would cover the zipper.

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The cuff. I had such a hard time finding a cuff I liked and that would look good and not wavy. I ended up making a 2x2 rib and I really like how regular it is.

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The front panel mounted on my knitting machine, taking up 198 of the 200 needles available.

Made (painfully) with Bing. The prompt was [Words that form the shape of a person in a friendly small neighborhood, everything is made solely and entirely of words]