Another co-worker of mine found one of her basement walls plastered with stickers of various eras’ political candidates… about as many as one might expect to find at the Republican National Convention. As she considers herself a strong liberal voter, the display will likely serve as, at most, a laughable conversation piece.

Then there are the discoveries that make you wonder if the previous inhabitants may have been trying to play a joke on the poor unsuspecting new homeowners. Alone in her empty new house, one of my cousins got the scare of her life when she noticed a figure standing alone in the dark in her basement. The previous owners had left behind a cardboard cutout of Humphrey Bogart. Bogey remained in the house when my cousin and her husband moved to their next home, but they did warn the new occupants of his presence before their move-in date.

In a similar vein, my friend’s sister-in law felt her heart stop for a moment when, upon reaching up to check out some high shelves in her new home, she felt her fingertips brushed across a pile of disturbingly animal-shaped objects. Dead mice? No, just rubber lizards.

My own favorite inherited tidbit is an item fastened to a wall in my basement: a somewhat-rusted bottle-opener which reads, "7-Up--It Likes You." Great, stuff, huh? This doesn’t even ring any bells as a slogan during my lifetime (granted, I’m only 26, but a lifetime’s a lifetime). The very nature of its utility suggests its age. There’s also a Coca-Cola one in the garage. Can’t say I use either one of ‘em, since I keep both my bottles and my portable bottle openers upstairs in my kitchen, but I’m still glad they’re there. Not only do they remind me of the uniqueness and humanity of my home, but it’s the odd bits that provide the most amusing and entertaining parts of the new house tour. Always.

You buy a house, you roll the dice. Every once in a while, they land cockeyed, and you laugh.