Cody…IS IN THE HOUSE!
In 2014, I ‘met’ Cody on Old House Dreams. He was passionate about a house listed, and I was fascinated that an 18-year-old would be interested in historic houses. I was just like that at 18!
We kept in touch over the years, and eventually even talked with long telephone conversations.
But…we have never met.
Until today.
Everybody say: Hi Cody!
Cody gets the high honor of being my very first guest, and the only person to sleep in the house since I have owned it. On new 600 thread count cotton sheets! And there is a shower in the house at long last!
Cody will depart early Sunday. If all goes well, he will return in October and move into the carriage house while helping me with the lighting business.
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Hi Cody, I’m so glad you & Ross have finally met. Enjoy your stay at the Cross House, I’m sure Ross will be the perfect host and is looking forward to you moving into the carriage house.
Hi Cody. Enjoy your stay 😁
Welcome Cody!
Sounds like a wonderful visit. Enjoy!
Hi Cody!
Welcome to Kansas! 🌻
Welcome Cody! I hope you have a wonderful stay at the Cross house. Lucky you for bet the first guest. I’m filled with envy!
Wonderful. 600 TC are my favorite sheets. The most comfortable. 400 are too rough and anything over 800 are too thin.
I have never met my best friend. We “met” on a BBoard for the Highlander TV series on the Rysher website around 1994. We both have blogs and read and post comments on each others. We also text and occasionally call and have done Facetime occasionally. We exchange Birthday and Christmas presents. We have been corresponding this way for over 25 years.
Congratulations to Cody for inaugurating the new bedroom and to you for finding someone to help with your business. Looking forward to reading the progress on the carriage house once Cody moves in.
Hi Cody! You are part of the Cross House’s history. Wheeee
Hey Cody!! You will have to let us know how you like the houses etc. Have a great time!
Hi Cody, welcome to Cross House!
Hi Cody! Welcome to Kansas and the Cross House. We’re glad you’re here!
Yay!
Cody is in Cross House! Welcome Cody!
I am so happy you met and he is staying in Cross House!
Hi Cody!
Hi Cody! Welcome to the Cross house. Enjoy your stay. We all hope to someday share your experience, be a Cross house guest and Chat with Ross in person.
Hi, Cody! What an awesome and exciting opportunity for you, and Ross as well! Sometimes a second perspective can be a lifesaver, and an extra pair of hands doesn’t hurt, either! 🙂
I wish I was a (well-behaved) fly on the Cross House wall! You two will enjoy discussing your shared passions and exchanging ideas. I can’t wait to see what creative projects are born from this collaboration. 💡
Cody, are you looking for a Charles W. Squires’ home of your own eventually, or are you investigating options?
Hello, Celeste!
I am ABSOLUTELY keeping my eyes out for an interesting house in town to come to market. There are several NOT mansion-sized homes in town that are incredible little jewel boxes. It will take me a couple years to save up a sizable down payment, but I hope to be out of the carriage house and into a place of my own in ~3 to 5 ish years.
Pleasure to meet you Cody! Welcome. Do U Like Cats? Ross, I’m so jealous of him! Maybe someday….. 🙂
Hi, Cody! 🙂
Hello Cody! So nice to finally put a face with the name. Let Ross fill us in on your impression of everything wonderful at both the cross house and your possible new digs at the carriage house too! I hope it all works out as it seems to be a good plan you two came up with.
I don’t think Ross would have decided to hire me if I didn’t like kitties!
I have two of my own that will be making the big move to Kansas with me later this year.
They will probably be PISSED for a hot minute when we all move, because it will be from the only house they’ve ever known to a whole other state – but the carriage house is much bigger than my current apartment, so I think they will forgive me on account of the larger digs.
At least, I hope!
Hi Cody! Your wonderful smile is a sweet addition to the Cross House atmosphere! I can’t wait to see you and Ross collaborating on this wonderful and exciting new venture. Yay!
P.S. Cody! Your Pusheen in a pizza box t shirt rocks! How fun!
I’ve always been a fan of the cartoons, but when I found out that JC Penney carried a small line of shirts, I bought ALL OF THEM!
GO CODY!
I’m 20, and I’ve been interested in historic homes too- since 16! Us young people are the future for these amazing structures. I’m glad you get to make such a huge difference in one so young and you’re an inspiration to me! I hope I can do half of what you’ll do for Ross, the Carriage house, and the Cross house someday :,)
You’re right Jp, you young guys have to step up and learn all about these homes and processes that were used so you can save them! I’m really happy to see the interest. Hope you are working towards the goal of saving one yourself.
I do indeed have a plan. It is a long way out, but right now I attend college in an upstate New York city- and I plan on purchasing a two-flat Victorian or similar styled apartment both to rent out and to live in. It’s farsighted at best but I desperately want to join the old house community and polish a gem of my own. Cities such as Buffalo, Binghamton, and Albany have many old structures in acute need of attention. My current plan is to graduate, get a job within one of these cities, and save up enough to buy a house out from under one of the slumlord empires that pretty much run the rental house community here.
Stay focused on that goal and it will happen. Really happy that you know where you are headed.
Hi Cody!! Welcome to the joys and the challenges! May you always have an old house to love. So excited to see the lighting that comes out of storage!!
Hi Ross
How great to know that you and Cody have finally been able to connect in person. I imagine the past few days have been a whirlwind – and great fun.
Looking forward to knowing how the inaugral visit went.
Happy Weekend
Colin
Hello all!
The last few days have indeed been quite a whirlwind, with lots to do and see, and as I write to you all from the bed in the octagon suite on my last night in the house (for now) before I depart in the morning, I’m happy to report that this vital, essential trip met and exceeded my preconceived notions and expectations about Kansas, the city of Emporia, the CH, and the lighting business.
I was dreading the idea of arriving to find Emporia a desperate, struggling, decaying, rust belt wasteland – but I was delighted to find that the city both feels and actually IS larger than I expected, and that it has the energy and vibrance of a much larger city. They’ve been POURING money into their downtown, and the city is really full of life. There’s the college, of course, lots of bars, shops and restaurants, an active arts culture, an incredible restored movie palace, and a smorgasbord of interesting architecture. It’s really a “happening” city, despite being in the middle of absolutely nowhere. And then if one were to become bored, there are 4 major cities within a reasonable days’ drive under 2 hours or so. It is also only a 6 hour drive to Dallas, and an 8 hour drive to Denver.
The CH is absolutely incredible. I can’t say anything about the place that any of you other dedicated readers don’t already know, but I will say that if you are ever able to make the trip out here, I would highly encourage you to make it happen. It’s a very special house. It EXUDES positive energy.
Ross and I were able to spend quite a bit of time together, and I think the general consensus is that we’ve both decided that we don’t hate one another in person, and as soon as the carriage house is habitable later this year (hopefully around October – it needs a LOT of work), we are going to go ahead and bring me on board to beef up the lighting biz. We made a trip to Wichita and toured the FLW Allen House, which was a blast (even if the docent was a raving liar). We were able to do quite a bit of shopping/hunting for lighting inventory, and on Saturday, we returned to Ross’ current house with my entire SUV absolutely stuffed to the gills with lights for the business. We got a lot accomplished. There will undoubtedly be a few posts to come about this haul – we found lots of good stuff. I met the major players on the crew here at the CH, I got to get elbows deep in the boxes of some local shops where inventory is regularly sourced, and Ross took me to dinner and a few really cool local restaurants.
Overall, I had a very enjoyable time. Staying in the house all alone was not creepy in the least, and I had a blast poking around, exploring Emporia, and getting to know Ross and the area a bit better.
I am planning on making another trip out this way in late July/early August with a small load of my most delicate belongings so that I don’t have to shove them in a giant U-haul and risk any breakage. Hopefully at that time the carriage house renovations will be well under way, and I can start to prepare for the big move a little more.
Thank you all for the well-wishes. I just graduated from Purdue, and post-college life is hitting me fast, but I am hugely looking forward to this next chapter.
-Cody
Congratulations on your graduation and cheers to another stage in life, Cody.
For the cats’ voyage, may I suggest Feliway ? (Am not in any way compensated by this, just hoping to make the transition for the cats to be easier.) Kansas is blessed to have you and Ross.
Cody! Welcome! My brother, sister-in-law and now their youngest all attended and graduated from Purdue!!! Hope you loved it as much as they did. Great spring board for your future! Sounds like things went swimmingly with our favorite genius ,Ross and his castle. Can’t wait to see what you two can accomplish!