Mortgage Monday: Time To Keep It Simple

With all of the work being done on the house lately things have been rather complicated. So far, nothing has been as simple as it should be. Everything on our project list has had a few subsections added to it with the floors and the exterior doors being prime examples of this ongoing process. However, in the end, many of these things, all of these complications, are going to give us what we have been picturing in our minds as our ideal home. Further, many of the things that have been uncovered and a couple of the future projects have and will remove some of the complicated aspects of our home.

The best examples of this are the HVAC overhaul currently underway and the electrical overhaul that we have on the schedule. The old oil and electric system required a heck of a lot of copper pipe running across the basement and up the walls to supply the baseboard heating. The air conditioning, being an afterthought of the original homeowners, was something that was put in as inexpensively as possible leaving us with duct work running through bedroom closets and really not being very efficient. The boiler, oil tank, and all of the copper pipes are now gone, the duct work has been overhauled, and we have now simplified the two zone (the heating was originally on four zones) system running forced air for both heating and cooling.

This project is nearing completion but the electrical work has yet to be started. While a few steps have been taken to simplify this (i.e. old whole house fan has been removed) there is still a lot of work to be done with new matching fixtures being installed and a lot, and I mean a lot, of outlets and switches that are going to be removed (with a few simply being moved). This will eliminate the need for a lot of the wiring that is running throughout the house and will put things (or leave things) in place that actually make sense (i.e. I don’t need three separate switches for the kitchen lights).

It is definitely a process but, as I said before, it will simplify some of the basic aspects of our house. After all, I don’t like having excess pipes and wires running through the walls when they don’t need to be there. After that it should be much easier to maintain. So, we will have to deal with a little more complication before we can reach a point of simplicity. Well, at least until the next round of renovations and projects.

T-Shirts, Horseshoes, and Hamburgers

It was really a matter of happenstance that we even had the time to drive down to King of Prussia a couple of weekends ago. And, somehow, our son’s nap schedule had some flexibility for the day so, after lunch, we all piled in the car with the hope that he would sleep on the way over. While we are having work done on the house in between the work weeks, the scheduled day off corresponded nicely with an event that was a couple of months in the making… the 6^th Masonic District Family Picnic.

To say that it was a hot afternoon would be an understatement. While I have broiled at higher temperatures, the combination of heat and humidity was, to say the least, uncomfortable. So much so that I was wondering what the turnout was going to be like as we weaved our way through the King of Prussia neighborhoods. After a few missed turns and slow coasting down the small streets, we finally made it to the park where I was met with a pleasant sight.

We arrived about an hour after the picnic was scheduled to start and we were greeted by nearly everyone in attendance as we walked through the crowd to the t-shirt table in the back. It was great to see everyone outside of the lodge and especially during the summer when we usually don’t have the opportunity to get together as a district. It was also nice to once again meet the masonic families in attendance and introduce them to my family in the process.

While we looked to sit down and have a bite to eat (our District Deputy makes a fantastic hamburgers), our son couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the horseshoes flipping and spinning through the air landing, mostly, with a loud pink or clang. It actually brought back some great memories from when I was not much older than my son as I watched my uncles trade points in the back yard. Of course, it didn’t take long before his attention was broken by everyone around us trying to catch his attention especially a little girl (of one of our new candidates) who just wanted to play with our shy little boy.

Again, it was hot and we all seemed a little sluggish that afternoon but time didn’t seem to be fazed by the temperature. Before we knew it, we were heading back to the car and turning the air conditioning as high as it could go. It was a great time and I look forward to this new annual gathering. I just hope that it is a little cooler next year and every year after that.

Mortgage Monday: The Other Monthly Checks

In addition to writing a check to the bank each month to slowly pay down our mortgage, there are also a variety of other checks that have to be taken care of on a monthly basis. Again, this is not something that I am used to doing but a monthly project that brings a sense of satisfaction as this is a home we now own. And while there are checks of the monetary kind that I regularly write, these are not the ones to which I am referring…

We want to make sure that we keep up on the maintenance of our home while also heading off any issues that may exist. This is why I tend to go around the house every once in a while, usually a few times per month, looking for little things (and big things too). Are the windows drafty? Are there any water stains? Is the heat working in all four zones? Are the gutters clear? Are any of the fixtures leaking? These are the kinds of questions that I try to ask myself as I walk about the house looking in corners and keeping an ear open to any sounds of water, pinging, clanking, etc.

While I don’t expect to find anything it is well worth the time to invest in these basic checks as we are still under warranty (part of our original deal during purchase) and any issues that come up would most likely be covered under that policy. Basically, it is all about making sure everything is running the way it should be. After all, this is no longer simply a place in which we are living as in the past, this is our home and we want to make sure that everything continues to be kept in great shape.

And, as the seasons and weather changes, I will be sure to check the same things as well as different systems around the house. The various filters are something that will be checked regularly but, as the weather warms, the air conditioning will also have to be looked at. We didn’t have any issues with inspections, only minor things here and there that were taken care of before we moved in, but we want to make sure that things are operational and that they are the right systems to have in place.

Maybe we will upgrade or change the air conditioning, heat, windows, flooring, etc. We will have to wait and see and continue to go through our check list every month. Then we will know what needs to be replaced (if anything), what we want to replace, and what we might consider doing in the future. So far everything is great but you never know… this is why I have to take care of so many checks each month.

Returning To Action

I always feel unprepared when returning to the lodge after being off from labor the entire summer. I find myself trying to look back to made sure that I am not missing anything from the past meeting in June that will carry over to the current month. It is also when I know I am going to get questions about the activity during the summer and what the plans are to close out the year. My mind is kind of all over the place when I walk through the doors in September.

While I shouldn’t be surprised, the meeting went as smoothly this month as I could have ever hoped for. Well, almost. It would have been nice of the weather had cooled down a bit and to have more brothers in attendance so that we are not playing catch up before the next meeting but I can’t really complain (too much). However, because of the heat and the absences, my night did end up being a lot shorter than I was expecting.

With the summer holding on to the calendar for a bit longer, the heat of the day carried over into the night and turned the lodge room into a sweat box… this was especially true for those of us who are in a tux during the meeting. Essentially, we were able to have a meeting, reconnect with each other, and lose a few pounds by the time we adjourned to the hall to finish up our program. This is the first time that I can recall (in my very short masonic career) finishing the meeting downstairs and it certainly was a welcomed change by everyone in attendance.

It is while we were in the air conditioning that we were all able to get a better understanding of most of the appendant bodies within freemasonry. Most of us are members of some body beyond the blue lodge but we are all still a little in the dark regarding some of the other bodies (there are exceptions to this as well). The most interesting part of this educational evening for me was learning about each of these bodies directly from the respective officers. There really are a lot of opportunities and different experiences within freemasonry that I hope to enjoy at some point in the future.

The biggest take away for many of us is very simple. While there are numerous appendant bodies and opportunities to join across the wide spectrum of freemasonry, they all trace back to the blue lodge, our home lodge, this small group of committed brothers that work each and every day to help the fraternity in some small way. We all have this same foundation and we each decide what kind of structure we build upon these three degrees. I am looking forward to seeing these buildings progress each meeting and every year.

TMI Tuesday: ‘Tis The Season of Swamp Butt

During the colder winter months and even into the slightly warmer spring, the aroma that filled the car during our son’s moments of colonic expression weren’t really that bad. When they happened we had a little time to get where we needed to go before changing him. However, as the weather has gotten warmer and the sweltering sun beats through the window during these late summer months, the window of opportunity is much smaller before we begin gasping for air. There have been more than a few occasions when a window had to be opened.

Such is the dilemma during this season of swamp butt. While you want to get to where we need to be as soon as possible, the smell that permeates every crevice of the car at times prevents us from staying on the road. There have been some interesting stops in the past couple of months from small dirt patches on the side of the road to all kinds of parking lots. We have actually become quite adept as spotting a clearing in the distance where we know we can stop, open the hatch in the back, pull the stroller out, and get the job done on the all-weather mats (something I am glad that we got for the car).

There are even times when our son gets a look on his face that shows that even he is a little disturbed by the smell rising up from his car seat and swirling around in the cabin. Sometimes he can smell the swamp butt before the wave hits us. This is particularly interesting given the fact that he is becoming more aware of his surroundings with every passing day. Even while we have been house hunting, there were a few moments of stink when the next stop seemed so far away despite our appointments being so close together.

So, for all the new parent out there I would like to leave you with a little jingle to which we can all relate during these summer months when the sun wreaks havoc on the senses and our eyes water as we search for the nearest place to pull over…

Deck the car with bowels of dookie,

Fa la la la la la la la la.

‘Tis the season to be stinky,

Fa la la la la la la la la.

Don we now our stained apparel

Troll the summer colonic carol,

Fa la la la la la la la la.

Putting The Pieces Together

Welcome back from the dark months!

Not long after I arrived at the lodge last night, the windows began rattling and the clouds opened up pounding the pavement just beyond the basement wall with a late summer thunder storm. As the rhythm of the weather played loudly in the background, I sat at my makeshift desk and planned out several overdue tasks. Before long I was joined at the lodge by other brothers trying to get that last bit of work done before the meeting.

In just a couple of days, we will be sitting in the sweltering lodge room resuming our usual meeting schedule after a couple of dark months. Still being new to Freemasonry, I keep trying to think of the different things that I will have to do during the course of the meeting. Tonight was the final preparation before diving back in to the usual program.

The last week or so I have been scrambling to finish up a number of summer tasks and placing overdue orders that will, hopefully, last until this time next year. Actually, since much of the material I am ordering is for new masons, I hope that I have to receive another shipment sooner rather than later. Either way, this crop of invoices should be arriving in the mailbox soon.

Of course, that was only a small group of things that needed to get done. There are other items on my list that kept getting pushed further and further back until late last month and this past holiday weekend. Thankfully, part of the time that I took off from work I was able to dedicate to checking off those items including sending the notice and getting the minutes done from our previous meetings month ago… I really have to get a better routine together for knocking those out as I can’t keep pulling them together last minute.

Even with all the work that had to get done and a hint of uncertainty for this quickly approaching meeting, I am looking forward to seeing all the brothers coming together once again for a meeting. While there is a certain amount of stress leading up to each evening at the lodge, I still find the time within those walls to be a tremendous respite from the everyday grind. Maybe with a better schedule, I will be able to enjoy those nights even more.

So, the dark months have once again come and gone. A whole new set of tasks awaits us in the coming months as we push forward in an attempt to meet the goals we set forth at the beginning of the year. Hopefully, the momentum from late spring was not lost and new petitions will be waiting for me on my desk. It really is an exciting time of year and one that I am looking forward to (even if the lodge room feels like an oven).

Another Half Year Down

You don’t have to look at the calendar to realize that it’s July. For the first time this year the sweat was flowing freely down the faces of anyone who stepped outside for more than a couple of minutes. The immediate chill and relaxation upon opening the door to the office building is something that is unique to summer and if often the highlight of the morning commute. And, for the first time in three years, I have been able to enjoy the heat of the day and sleep wrapped in the cool of the night.

It seems that it was a mere few weeks since I last wrote about the resolutions and the recap of the previous things checked off the list. That is not what this blog is about, not today, not this summer. There are too many great things that have happened so far this year some that I previously listed as goals and resolutions while others just happened, surfacing in the flow of life. I have been too focused on lists at times to truly embrace the greatness of this world and the gift of life that we have all been given.

This year has been one of tremendous personal satisfaction and, thankfully, stability. While it has been far from perfect, there are few things that I would go back and change. I couldn’t tell you any particular instance that comes to mind as I can’t recall the moments to which I reference. I have made a point to forget that which prevents me from keeping my eyes looking forward. While I am not always successful in this endeavor, I am making the effort and I am definitely better off for doing so.

And one of the tools that has allowed me to do this is this blog. This is why you will occasionally read the rants or the recounting of days that may have been led astray. Writing these things down allows me to forget. Words and photos are things that live in the past. Once a picture is taken or a word is written it is immediately thrown into the past. It was captured. It was written. Only the sentence that I construct at this very moment is a piece of the present. All other thoughts and actions have already happened and been recorded.

It has been a great year so far and one that I am happy to forget. All those moments are within me, stored in my mind and influencing my current direction, but they are not cognizant thoughts that dominate my every moment. Each of us have in our own mind the greatest story ever told which only ends when we can no longer remember who we are and what we have done. This year has been great thus far and I look forward to continuing to write the story of my life in the following days, months, years, and for the rest of my life. And the best part of this story is that no matter how much I try to plan or anticipate I have no idea what is going to be on the next page.