And the demolition begins...

Since we are now in our retirement home, we have started on the top 20 projects to make it perfect. 

So far we have added a pantry, remodeled the laundry room, new garage door openers, upgraded the water heater and replaced the carpet.

Today we are adding some ceiling fans (more to come) and starting demolition on the deck in preparation for the rebuild and expansion. 

Soon we will have our generator and the outside of the house will be painted.

Still on the list is an additional garage, greenhouse, landscaping, remodeling all of the bathrooms and the front entryway, painting all of the inside rooms and change out the kitchen stove.

We should be able to get this finished in the next 5 years or so...  :P

Well...we don't want to be bored...

My Friend Ajax

You may or may not realize we are without a fur baby (i.e. dog) right now.  I have been looking but Bichon's are just not a popular dog in Alaska.  I really don't understand why not...

Enter the fun loving, adorable Ajax.  Ajax is a 2-3 year old yellow lab who belongs to some dear friends of ours.  He is trained to be a service dog but unfortunately for the service program, he did not pass one of the final exams dealing with noisy crowds.  (I can't blame him - I don't pass muster in noisy crowds.)  Therefore, his trainers had the option to keep him as a pet and they did.   I am so happy about they did!  He is extraordinarily well trained and just a big, huggable bear.

Ajax absolutely understands I will always have a dog biscuit or two for him in my pocket.  He also knows where we keep the biscuits in the pantry and quietly disappears to sit in front of them until he gets one.  He also knows I will toss his Kong whenever he brings it to me.  When we are together he is constantly at my side or my feet waiting for an ear scratch or a belly rub. 

It is so nice to have a furry friend.  I can't wait to get one of our own.

My Butterfly Effect

While the general understanding of the "Butterfly Effect" taken from chaos theory goes something like...a flap of a butterflies wings can cause a tornado two continents away...my definition is something a little different.

My butterflies are more in line with the following:  I am on a mission to get something done and then I see a butterfly and it takes me down a different path.

Case in point:  Last week I heard the washer buzz indicating the clothes were ready to transfer to the dryer.  When passing through the kitchen I noticed the package of meat on the counter thawing (butterfly #1) and decided I should check it first. The meat was ready to go back in the fridge but I needed to check the pantry (across from the LAUNDRY room) to make sure I had all of the ingredients (butterfly #2) for dinner. I discovered I needed to run to the grocery store and I went back to the kitchen to make a list (butterfly #3).  Upon passing the dishwasher I noticed the dishes were clean (butterfly #4) and needed to be put away (butterfly #5).  While I was at the sink, I took time to wash the breakfast skillet (butterfly #6). Then, out of the blue unrelated to anything in the kitchen, I remembered an email I needed to send (butterfly #7) and went back to the office.

The result:  Two hours later I remembered the clothes needed to be moved to the dryer...

This is also a part of my exercise regime when the stairs are involved.  :P