Feb 2nd: Delaminating Ruminations

The day started off well enough: toughest day of the week behind me. Longest month of winter, IMHO, in the rearview. Grocery shopping in the snow out of the way and today's list of meetings is pretty small. Then I checked my email. Not looking forward to this summer.

Especially when I value my time, and time is what I'll really need post-work as the ground softens and the weather improves. Big things on tap, like finishing the side deck and welding railings. Pouring rock and building fences. And the money pits, like developing the drive-in site and starting construction on what I’m affectionately calling "the cabin". This may not be the summer of the patio shelter, but god forbid if I don't make good use of the balcony.

As the roads got slushy and the winds picked up, I found myself driving across the corn field after work last night and checking in on the lodge. Everything AOK. But something else. A forest from the trees moment where I had been away long enough to see a greater picture than the details that continually weighed me down stepping through the door. If I can hold tight to those rosey glasses my blood pressure might drop a few points.

A quiet weekend by the usual standards. In lieu of a Friday night special I hit up the PL with Ben and Cam Saturday afternoon after galavanting the countryside. No Toro purchases in New Hampton, but Ben made an appliance contact in town. Near Traer I struck a deal on a FWD transmission needed for the ETC and met a truly passionate person the likes I haven't encountered in sometime. Gives a soul pause. Back at the PL we knocked out a few games of pool and had a spirited conversation about the arabs and their flaming power supplies. I took my leave shortly before 5 to cleanup and hit the town with Cara. There's no doubt in my mind that Beck is rolling in dirty, dirty money. We gave Roux Orleans a try and I do admit, it was an enjoyable experience, but he should be reminded this is Waterloo, Iowa. Price your drinks accordingly…chump.

Sunday was a lazy day, but a series of trials and errors brought forth a cabin design that's a natural outgrowth of prior ideas. I ran up a bill of material yesterday and continue to get stuck with the logistics of a basement. Year-round sump-pump? Block or Poured? ICF's? Ready-mix vs. bagged. Rent an excavator or hire it out. Etc. Etc. Might just end up slab-town, USA on this one.