Weekend Recap

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Leave politics aside for a different post. So unplanned but relaxing 3 day weekend. Also super productive as we achieved what I thought would be much harder process in getting the porch wholly removed. In fact we ended up removing the little rock patio I had built up as well, decided to start over from scratch. But we still had time for some fun over the course of the weekend.

Family

The boys ended up with a day early start on their Spring Break due to a Snow day on Friday, which is why I stayed home for the unplanned 3 day weekend. Which was fun for the boys to have a day of just hanging out, playing on the computer and playstation.

Saturday I got out of the house: YMCA for a workout, library for the kids to get some books for the week. Then we went to a Birthday party at my least favorite restaurant for 3 hours (Chuck E. Cheese).

Sunday was a work day. We first cleaned up the rubble we had placed in the empty lot next door. Then went to work on the porch and cleaning up what we had to clean up and remove. And we mostly got it done. It was a heavy work day, and I am a little sore, but it is done, which is what counts.

Project

So we have almost completely cleaned up the front of the house, removing the porch, and also the planter/patio that I had constructed a few years back. Here is what it looks like now:

So now we need to take some measurements and stock of what we have and what we want to do. We have already decided to just put in a basic set of stairs for the door, with a railing. It is the simplest solution, and to be honest we need that railing as we have a number of aging family members who will need that railing as the years go by. After that it will be some combination of patio and planters in the front yard, made primarily of pavers.

It's been a lot of work, but one thing we have discovered over the years is that Kim & I work very well together, and these projects are actually fun for the 2 of us. And it is really good exercise as well.

Health

Well all that work has helped a lot, if I have another good week like last one I should be able to progress past a major barrier, not a plateau so much as a milestone. One of the things I have noticed is how all this weight loss and exercise has become like a stone moving downhill. As I work hard to lose weight, I gain more energy, which makes it easier to work harder, which leads to more weight loss, which leads to more energy. It's a fun revelation.

Sports

As a result of the snow day I got to watch a considerable amount of the NCAA basketball. Which was fun. I always enjoy March Madness, especially when the underdogs come close or pull off upsets. Because it is so much fun to watch these kids who have no hope of playing beyond this level just put in their all and really leave all that on the floor. And basketball is still a team game at this level, without the star game that the NBA is.