mek.highcroft.com

Home Improvement (AKA this not-so-old House)

The kitchen is nearly ready for the new oak cabinetry (which is slated for installation sometime next week). A little joint compound , moving a couple electrical outlets and changing th lovation of the duct vent are all that's left... I am very excited that this project is so near completion, and even more excited that the custom built cabinets are of much higher quality than the comparably-priced cabinetry at our local building supply and design warehouses.

While the project is still quite costly, both in terms of dollars and in time, the increased space and overall layout improvements the new cabinets will afford are excellent. The addition of a dishwasher will be very welcome, and the extra storage space will get items out of the pantry/linen closet and back into the kitchen where they can be used.

The floor and a new window still need to be factored into the final part of this remodel, but the cabinetry and dishwasher were more important at this point. The flooring will most likely be a floating wood floor or real hardwood, and the 40 inch wide window will eventually be replaced by one nearly twice that width. The timing of those updates is dependent on on funds (as always), but we anticipate living in this house for quite a while, and the investment is worth it.

Resale value aside, since we've moved into this house, we've really made it into our home, not just another house for us to live in. Adding personal touches like custom paint colors, updates to the landscaping, updated trim and moulding, and, of course the kitchen cabinets, are just ways to make the house more attractive and functional, but it feels good to come home to a house that's "ours" and not just another place to hang the proverbial hat.

There will always be something more to do, whether planned updates or unplanned repairs, but I'm truly glad we chose this house when we moved. The neighborhood is wonderful, folks care about their neighbors, as well as their homes. It may not be Mister Roger's neighborhood, but I'm glad my kids will grow up here.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

Today was my first day back to work following a wonderful 2 week vacation. It was a very fun vacation, punctuated by the birth of our beautiful neice Kylee Ann Vensland, and an automible accident (see photo1 or photo2) from which my brother-in-law emerged, amazingly, alive but quite bruised and shaken...

Our trip took us through 11 states, and exposed us to beautiful scenery, scary drivers, and miles and miles highway between Minnesota and Massachusetts. THe drive along major freeways is certainly a timesaver, but in terms of scenery and enjoyment "along the way" the backroads and off-turnpike major roads offer more scenic views and fun driving opportunity. Like the Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts and New York -- Now hope I'll get a chance to drive that road in the autumn when trees are exploding with color.

I, of course, took along a camera that was rarely used. Perhaps when Heidi's film comes back, we'll have some photos to post, but in reality, this vacation was about relaxing, and toting the camera around would have made it feel less like R&R and more like being on assignment.

So, I'm well rested and my mind has been successfully cleared of most work-related stress. Now, if I could only find someone to wade through the 1300 e-mail messages in my work in-basket...

East Coast Vacation

We've made it safely to Cape Cod, and are settling into the house here following a great dinner from Evan's (subs and pizza). The trip out here was pretty uneventful (fine by me), though a little longer than I remember... if course, I used to make this trip by driving from Minneapolis to Massachusetts without stoping to sleep...

So, day one, we left Minneapolis and drove to Schaumburg, Illinois, where we staued the night in the Drury Inn. We have really come to enjoy staying at the Drury, and look for these hotels when we travel. With consistently warm and friendly service, and a great breakfast buffet, it's hard to beat the deals!

Day two, we headed out from Chicagoland toward Ohio. We ended up searching for a hotel in and around Erie, Pennsylvania, but were unable to find a hotel until we reached Hamburg, New York. This days' worth of driving was considerably more than I had anticipated, and getting to bed at 1:00AM at the Holiday Inn was not exactly my idea of a goods nights' sleep. Oh well. Chalk that one up to poor planning.

Saturday, we drove across New York and into Massachusetts, then north into New Hampshire. We stayed overnight with some friends in Winchester. We love staying withand visiting with the Anderson's. They are so much fun, and we always wish we could stay longer, but perhaps we will be able to visit them on the way back home next week.

Today, Sunday, we drove to the Cape, after meeting and lunch with the Andersons. Getting out to the Cape seemed like a pretty short drive, and we've been settlikng in here for a couple hours, making a short list of things we need to pick up at the store, and starting a little laundry before bed. Tomorrow will be the first "real" day of vacation, with nothing really planned to be done (yahoo!) and starting off the day with breakfast at Grumpy's. I'm lookg forward to a fun, relaxing day!

Summer Vacation

Hardly a day passes when I don't hear someone mention their recent vacation, and I am very much looking forward to our upcoming trip.

In August, Heidi, Caroline and I are "doin' the roadtrip thing" and driving from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Cape Cod, Massachusetts to visit my parents, spend some time on the beach, and generally just relax and have fun.

Our trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado earlier this year was wonderful, but I am looking forward to this trip even more. Perhaps it has something to do with the ocean, but I love the coast. So much to do, so much to see, so much to experience. The east coast has a rich history, both culturally and architecturally, and I've been more and more interested in both in recent years. I honestly don't know why.

So, after the cabinets are removed from the kitchen, the walls rebuilt and painted, we'll be heading out the door on vacation (after figuring out how we will fit all the important baby gear and accessories into the car), heading east until we find the ocean in Massachusetts.

I hope to post notes and some photos while we're there, since we'll be staying with my family there, but I won't promise anything... I may just sit back and be lazy, electronically "unplugged" for a week or so.