23 Comments
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Kristen Aliotti's avatar

Great column! (I’m catching up after some travels.) Your work is probably very popular in the Indianapolis real estate industry: makes a person want to move there!

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Robert  Basler's avatar

Should I reserve something for you? If you move here, the Culps will come visit...

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Kristen Aliotti's avatar

Maybe, but you'll have to get your cousin to inspect it for me, before I make my final offer! (What I wouldn't give to have the Culps in the neighborhood, too! Even for visits!) I don't tend to follow through (as you two do), but when I was a kid and we would drive through Iowa, every town we went through (no freeways!) I would pipe up: "I want to move here!" At least that's what my mom always told me, and I vaguely remember it, too.

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Jane Rea's avatar

Didn’t know your house was on the National Registry! A great reason to avoid fixing things. But seriously, it would be nice to be in an area where buildings aren’t routinely destroyed after 20 years.

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Sandy Read Reiberg's avatar

Barbara knows how to keep your head from swelling so large that no hat could ever fit, doesn't she?

Bravo for honoring the 8 year itch and bringing yourselves back home again to Indiana, where we happily scratch each other's backs and gaze at geese and blue herons.

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Susan Applegate's avatar

My gosh, stud!! Maybe Barbara can take you on a tour of her old dates' homes some day! Glad you left Santa Fe . There really are only so many Suguaro that you can pretend are pretty.

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Robert  Basler's avatar

It's amazing, isn't it, Susie? All I can figure is, after dating me these girls never wanted to date again...

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Susan Crowley's avatar

My daughter’s 1825 house in WV is on the National Historic Register, too. You can tell by the plaque... and the plumbing. Be happy you and B even have doorknobs.

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trixiebettsDornoch's avatar

You waited until the penultimate paragraph! Great Bob. Keep them coming.

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Robert  Basler's avatar

I know, Trixie! I don't get no respect!

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Rita Jane Gabbett's avatar

These always make me smile. You just might be my favorite Hoosier writer. Sorry Kurt...

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Robert  Basler's avatar

Thank you, thank you... You're pretty high up on my Illinois writer list, too. Sorry Ernest and Carl...

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Mitch Koppelman's avatar

I believe you can trace Indianapolis’ revival to 1984 when they stole the Baltimore Colts...

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Robert  Basler's avatar

There's more to Indianapolis than just baseball, Mitch...

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Patricia Coonan's avatar

Toothpaste, memories of home (going to visit soon!), and Phyllis Diller. Fangs for the memories, Bob.

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Joyce Wadler's avatar

Lovely story, Robert. Although I would never have believed it at seventeen, I think something pulls us back to our home territories. And I would imagine it feels very good to be welcomed back by all those people you used to know.

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Chris Malone's avatar

I read this at 9 pm. Don’t hate me. 😉

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Robert  Basler's avatar

It's cool, Chris. Most of my staffers are taking tomorrow off for Phyllis Diller's birthday, so we posted early....

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Benjamin D Swan's avatar

I always wondered why people leave Santa Fe. Now I know. Toothpaste! No, I get it. Thanks for the perspective. And the story!

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Anne Nobles's avatar

Another lovely story! But you had a family member who carefully visited every part of the house before you bought it...sight unseen by you but not me!

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Robert  Basler's avatar

Did we ever get around to thanking you, Cuz?

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Deborah's avatar

I would have happily brought toothpaste to you.

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Robert  Basler's avatar

Sure, Deborah. Let's see if you remember that when you pass through here in the fall...

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