Firearms Friday: Finally Getting Organized

Now that's a work bench!

It has only taken five months but I am finally getting around to organizing my work space. Within the first couple of weeks after we moved in, I did take the time to get all the boxes downstairs, unpacked a few, and stacked the rest neatly in the corner for when I had some more time to dedicate to the endeavor. With the exception of adding a few boxes and retrieving a few items, this is pretty much as far as I got with regard to organizing my work space.

The reason for this lack of progress is simple. It was quite the adjustment during the first few months in our new home and during that period of time there were other projects that took precedence over my designated basement work space. When there was some free time on the horizon a couple of months ago, once again, there were other matters that needed to be taken care of before I could spend the time needed below ground.

Now that a few things have seemingly slowed down and I am finally getting caught up on the various projects and responsibilities that have been hanging over me over the past couple of months, the time has come to set aside the time to get things organized. Of course there is also the motivation (mentioned last week) to complete a few projects and pull together a number of items to be sold. Sometimes you just have those moments when you need to cull the heard and with the unexpected expenses that my wife and I have incurred lately, a little extra cash would be welcomed.

It will also be nice to take stock of the parts that I have. While I have a spreadsheet to track much of the material huddled in the corner of the basement, I am certain that there are a few things that may have slipped through and I would like to know exactly what I have before I resume building. After all, you never know... I might be able to take a few of my personal projects up a few notches. However, the most important thing is that I will be able to have the space organized so that, in the future, I can take care of a few things when I have ten minutes here or there rather than waiting, as I have been, until I have a day to get things done. That would be nice.

Firearms Friday: Selling More?

Well, that's a decent goal. 

There have been so many unexpected expenses that my wife and I have incurred over the past couple of months and many more that we are anticipating over the next months that the time has come for me to start culling some of the firearms from the safe. I hate having to do this again but it is sometimes what needs to be done. Besides there isn’t anything that I own that isn’t replaceable and the benefits are at the point when they significantly outweigh the desire to hang on to what I have. And that is what I have to remind myself of during this process… I’m not getting rid of everything and what I do sell I can find again in the future.

Of course, now is the difficult part of making the decision of what stay and what has to go. This also may require an investment of my time in completing a few basic builds to flip. On the positive side of things this will force me to finally get my work space organized and free up some of the clutter that has continued to plague me. This also means that I have to find the time somewhere in my schedule to head over to the local (actually not so local) gun shop in order to hopefully add some much needed funds to our account.

At the same time, I hope that this process pushes me to finally complete the other projects that I plan on keeping. They have been on the shelf (in the safe actually) for far too long and I am missing the cathartic benefits of working with my hands to actually build something. There are also a few parts that have to be installed and some customizations that have to be made… maybe there will be time to get these done once I get back into the rhythm of building. And, having cleared some extra space, there will undoubtedly be some extra room to store all of these new creations.

This is what I have to keep telling myself as I am definitely not the only one that dislikes having to sell off on item without immediately replacing it with another. That being said, this is a common ebb and flow of the sport and I am certain that I am not the only one that keeps going through this annoying cycle. But, again, we do this for our family as there are more ways than one with which we can protect them.

Mortgage Monday: Needing Separation

While I have a home office, I have yet to use it as much as I would like. In fact, I have used the kitchen more than any other place in the house to get work done and it has actually worked out well so far. While it may not be the optimal place to get projects done, it allows for greater flexibility to switch from work to family. Again, not the optimal work conditions but I can’t help it.

To be honest, the space I am currently using to get work done is more because of the fact that there are a few projects still incomplete around the house. Namely the organization of my office which at one point was pretty close but it now a bit disheveled. However, the biggest thing preventing me from using the space is the simple fact of noise. My office is currently open to the main entrance of the house and the stairs to the second floor. Any work that I do in the office could wake up our son.

This is just one of many projects (which have all been discussed previously) that have to be completed. I consider this one to be an essential change to improve the functionality of the space. And that it important to note… we have the space. This is a luxury that we have to work with… we don’t have to move things around or have multipurpose rooms. We have the space to separate everything and our goal is to separate work from the family.

That strong divide is something that I would like to reestablish sooner rather than later. Not only am I able to be more efficient and productive but I can keep the piles of papers and my computer out of the family space of the house. We all need that divide between work and home whether it is a long drive or simply a door between rooms. Of course, the nice thing is that my wife and I both have our own spaces which we can make our own because, again, we have the space to do it. But this will also take a little time.

It just goes to show that things still need to be figured out over time even though you may have found the perfect home for your family. There are always going to be projects that have to be done to fine tune the house to fit your needs. This is because of the simple reality that a perfect home is going to be an imperfect house.  

Mortgage Monday: Interesting Questions

No matter where, when, or at what price you purchase a house you will always have questions about your new home. Some are as simple as where things are located in the house while you still get used to your new surroundings. Other times you are curious as to the best routes and best places to shop around your new location. These are just a natural part of the process no matter who you are, where you live, or how much research you did before you bought your property. For some that remain local or knew the former owners they are quickly answered while for most of us it is just a process that takes time.

However, there are a few other questions that I find floating around in my mind that I have also asked a few people from time to time. They are actually more prevalent than I thought even for those who believe that they have the perfect home. It also proves that there is more to a home than the place or the structure. Here are the questions that most people admit to having had fun with in the past:

• Would you still chose to live in the same place where you currently live? If no, where would you look? Yes. We really enjoy the town, the privacy, and the space. 
• Would you build your house the same way that you bought it? No. There are certain things that we want to change and add. Nothing needs to be changed. All minor things that are easily adjusted. Also, there are some aspects of our home that, at the time of purchase, we didn’t realize we wanted.
• Would you live in the same place and/or buy the same house if you had unlimited funds at the time of purchase? Yes and no. Great value in our home but we might have made some modifications immediately after purchase.
• I guess the same thing applies to those that had their house built… would you build it the same way now that you have lived in it? N/A
• What would you change (what would you have changed at the time) if you had unlimited funds? N/A
• Change or rebuild? N/A

I am sure that many of you were thinking about your own responses as you read through the questions above. And for those with whom I have spoken that consider the place they live to be their home, there is nothing in their responses that have led then to regret their previous decision. The certainty waivers a bit when people consider the place they live to be their house. For me, this has actually been an interesting exercise that has proven our decision to be correct time and again… we found the perfect home for us even with its imperfections.

Mortgage Monday: Finding Our New Stores

All of the other places that my wife and I have lived had immediate access to a variety of both small shops and national chain stores. Now, where we have decided to make our home, there are a number of stores nearby but not as many as we have grown accustom. For many of the places that we once frequented, we have to drive a little further than before which, we are finding, is actually a welcomed change from the places where we once rested.

Just down the road we have many of the essentials just by different names than those that we are used to seeing. There are local eateries, small gas stations, and other stores that line the main thoroughfare just down the street. And, while it seems further than it really is, there are a few of the national retailers just a little further down the road including the local Wal-Mart. On a side note, this is the first Wal-Mart, or any large store for that matter, that I have ever seen which has separate buggy parking.

All of the other stores are either the same distance that we are used to driving or are a little closer than they once were. Ollie’s is a perfect example of this as it is now about 20 minutes away when there were a couple of others that we used to go to that were a 25-30 minute drive from our previous rentals. But there are replacements that are much closer to us including BB’s and some other local stores that offer the same if not better prices.

The only stores that could be seen as inconvenient are the ones that we don’t use regularly. If we need to go to Staples, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, or Babies R Us they are no longer 10 minutes down the road. However, at least a couple of them, Staples for certain, are near my office and usually those trips can be done quickly in the middle of the day. But, again, many of the things that we once purchased there can be found elsewhere and, at the moment, we are still in the process of exploring the local area including the towns immediately around us as well as the Reading area.

We have everything that we need at a convenient distance from our home. There are plenty of options out there some of which we have already fond while others are, as of yet, undiscovered. However, when compared to our previous houses and apartments, we are the most comfortable and relaxed being ever so slightly removed from the retail commotion. We have space, we have room to breathe, and we still have access to everything we need.

I Didn’t Like Working From Home…

Every year, I am given ten work from home days to use as I see fit. However, even though I have been given the option to do so I have rarely used more than a couple out of necessity. I have never been a fan of working from home. This has not been a secret and there are a multitude of reasons for my dislike of this arrangement. What it really comes down to is the simple fact that I am not as productive at home as I am at the office. And that is all about the focus that I lack when there are so many distractions around the house.

However, in the few weeks that we have been in our new home, that stance is beginning to waver and, with the office arrangement that I have, I seem to be maintaining my focus better than I have been in the past. On some days it is even better than at the office. While I don’t believe it is one specific thing that has helped me I do know that it is a much more comfortable arrangement.

In the past, my office has either been upstairs or in the basement far removed from anything else in the house. Theoretically, this seems like a good arrangement but in reality it created, over time, an atmosphere that wasn’t conducive to getting work done. Over time I would use these spaces less and less until they eventually remained relatively unused and my laptop and work documents overtook the kitchen table. It proved to be quite the vicious cycle.

The only time that I had an office on the main floor was in our apartment in Bala Cynwyd. It actually worked well for a little while but because of the odd hours I kept, the close proximity to the bedroom which prevented me from typing too loud, and the maintenance issues that proceeded to drip all over the carpet, this too was a short lived arrangement. Of course, it also didn’t help that my wife and I shared the office space and we have completely different ways of working.

Now we have separate spaces on the main floor of the house. While there is still some work that needs to be done so that I can use the space on a more regular basis (i.e. doors put in so the sound doesn’t travel up the stairs at night and wake up our son), it is already proving to be an excellent place to get things done. I think I have completed more projects in this office over the past month than I did sitting in the basement in our last rental. So, now working from home might not be so bad which is a good thing because the roads might not be as friendly in our current location.

One Keurig At A Time

Lately there have been a lot of things that we have looked to move around at the lodge. Some are simply plans that we hope to follow through on in the future while other projects are well underway and will hopefully be completed by the end of the year. Of course, one space where a lot of moving around needs to be done is in the office… this is something that falls under both the former and, time permitting, will soon be a part of the latter. Frankly, I am not concerned with the space itself, although there have been talks regarding the moving of the office itself, it is more of a matter of all the stuff that has accumulated in that half of the basement.

Know in the middle of my own packing and sifting at home, I am really not looking forward to the monumental undertaking that will be required at the lodge. It really isn’t about how much stuff that needs to be moved as the room isn’t all that big. It all comes down to the fact that we have to go through each and every item, ever sheet of paper, and basically get approval to dispose of all the items that are unnecessary. At least at home I can, for the most part, take care of this pretty quickly as I know almost immediately what stays and what goes… the lodge is another story altogether.

I guess a bonus for my own move is the fact that there are a number of things that we have either replaced, plan to replace, or simply don’t need any more at the new house. While many of these things have been donated over the last couple of months (primarily shoes and clothes) there are a few other items that I am happy to donate to the lodge and some of the brethren. I always enjoy this part because it is a means for me to bring a little comfort to the lodge for all of us that use the space. While computers are completely practical and do a lot to accomplish this, having a Keurig in the new kitchen should be that little extra for some of us that makes it that much more comfortable.

I am sure that there are other things that would be beneficial to the lodge (there are definitely more important and pressing needs) but sometimes it is nice to satisfy that need for creature comforts. After all, we want the brethren to feel comfortable in the space. We want our families to feel comfortable in the space. And we want all of our guests to feel welcomed in our space. The lodge consists of the men who are members of the community with a common meeting place, the building is not just a home for those brethren but also a part of the community as a whole. By providing a welcoming lodge, we support a welcoming community.

TMI Tuesday: Baby Gets A Bigger Room

The long day began with our usual morning routine which quickly changed once we got in our cars and met up at our son’s daycare. Today we both wanted to be there when we dropped him off as things were going to be quite different when we picked him up. It was a great feeling telling him “You have fun at school, mommy and daddy are going to go get you a bigger room!” From that daycare we drove to another… we haven’t been very happy with where our son has been spending his days.

Our appointment began as the last of the children were dripped off by their parents and as soon as we had a moment to sit a look around, we knew that this was a completely different place than where our son was currently spending his time. By the end of the tour there wasn’t a question in our mind as to whether we wanted to change his daycare it was all a matter of when would he be able to start. While we were going to make the switch anyway the fact that it was a $100 per week cheaper made that decision a lot easier.

From there we drove up the road a few miles where we met with a brother from the lodge and his wife. It was a relatively quick meeting as we were all running quite a bit behind schedule and before we knew it we were up against the clock to get to our next appointment. We arrived slightly passed the time we had hoped to arrive but things seemed to work out as our room wasn’t quite ready. This gave us an opportunity to talk with all those who greeted us at the front door. At this point part of me was eager to get things moving while another part as nervous about the changes which were about to occur.

The delays seemed longer in the moment than they do in hindsight. I guess it was all the excitement and anticipation of the day. Looking back it seems like mere moments between the first handshakes to the final signature to the disbursement of checks. While all the leg work and preparations may have been time consuming, it was all worth the effort when we were handed the keys to our new home and our son’s bigger bedroom. Now we can finally call ourselves homeowners and now we have a place where we can see ourselves raising our family for many years to come. It is a great new feeling to have especially when you go to pick up your son and tell him that we found a place where he will grow up.

Lodge Work At The Office

Believe it or not it is that time of year again with our annual blood drive just a month away. Actually, it is exactly a month away. While we had originally planned on having it earlier in the fall, due to some staffing issues, we pushed things back to about the same time that we had our drive last year. While the weather might be a bit colder than we had hoped, we should still maintain our regular level of participation given the turn out last year as well as the experience we had in April when we donated the space at the last minute.

Over the past year and a half, I had been working with a particular organizer at the Red Cross… we got along rather well and things always got done. About a month or two ago, I got a note saying that things were changing and that we would be working with someone else from here on out. With time at a premium at the moment, I was wondering how we were going to be able to get together and properly get this relationship moving forward. Thankfully, she took the time and we met this past Tuesday at my office. I actually think that this is the only time that I could manage to squeeze out of my day.

The meeting went rather well and, like the woman we previously worked with, I easily got along with our new organizer. In addition to collecting all of the details that she needed and sharing with me the new forms and processes that are now in place, it was a time to also introduce her to who we are and what we do as masons… at least the broad strokes. It was also a meeting to coordinate an additional blood drive for the spring so also set aside some time in April if you are interested in donating.

Of course, now the work really begins to make sure that things run smoothly. While I may not have blocks of time available, there are moments and minutes here and there to make the phone calls, write the emails, and updating the schedule. This is really what it is all about on my end to make sure that this drive is as successful as the first two that I have been involved with. And, of course, I have to make sure to have all the blank forms available on the day of the drive for the Masonic Blood Club.

So, hopefully some of you will be able to make it to the lodge on Saturday, December 12th. If you are able to make it please stop by and say hello… if I am not at the reception area I will be laying on a table. Either way, I will make sure to shake your hand.

Firearms Friday: House Hunting Edition

One of the things that I have enjoyed about our current rental is the fact that I have room for my desk and my work bench. It allows me to escape a bit and go somewhere quiet so that I can either get work done, research a few leaves on the tree, or build/upgrade a few firearms. It has been nice having this space and something that I hope to have in a new home.

While it is common for home buyers to include an office space on their wish list, my request takes it a few steps further. While I need the space for a desk, bookshelves, and filing cabinets it also has to have additional storage and space for both my work bench (I will be bringing the current one with us) and a rather large safe (I plan on upgrading once we move). And when I say large safe I am not kidding around. Best guess is that we will need to have a floor that can support at least a couple thousand pounds (empty).

If we are going to find a place where we can stay for a long time (we hope to never have to move again), this is one of the things that I would like to have. Some may see this as an expensive and somewhat selfish item and to a certain extent they would be right. It is something I want. However, it is also something that we need in our home as I want everything to be as secure as possible. This is also why I am going to take things a step further and have a full security system… something that we both agree on.  

Basically, what it comes down to is that this is a hobby and a passion of mine. Something that relaxes me and something that I enjoy in my free time. I hope to one day share this passion with my son while also teaching him about the importance of safety both in proper handing at the range and, as in this case, proper storage at home. I would much rather him grow up thinking that this level of security is the norm as opposed to the contrary.

In the end, there are many things on our wish list for a new home. The majority of those items are things that both my wife and I want to find while other things are on the list that we have each added. It just goes to show that it is both our similarities and our differences that bring us together and what make up the perfect (and safe) home for our family.

TMI Tuesday: Baby Needs Space

Yes, the Swingline stapler went with him.

Not really a TMI post but it is still about the baby so here you go…

As the days and weeks have passed, our son keeps getting bigger and bigger. This seems to be happening way too fast (we were warned that this would happen). While he has yet to reach the 3 month mark he has already grown out of most cloths that bear that same marking and is now well into the 3-6 month items that fill his dresser.

While he is a bit chunky like his daddy, much of this outgrowth is because of his length. Because of this the swaddles that he once seemed to swim in are now too short to accommodate his outstretched legs and the bassinet that has remained beside our bed can barely contain him. His rapid growth forced us to make the switch over the weekend finally moving him out of our bedroom and into his crib in his own room.

So far he seems to like the privacy and I can’t say I blame him. While he can still hear much of what is going on in the house, he no longer has to hear the snores echoing off the walls (although this amazingly didn’t seem to bother him before). He has his own space in his own room… it really is amazing how fast things seem to be changing.

We have watched him slowly take over more and more of the bassinet over the last couple of months and now that he is in his crib it seems as though we have hit the reset button. It is a large crib and our growing boy seems lost in there. Thankfully, the transition was harder on my wife than our son as he is enjoying the extra room and the slightly softer sleeping surface. I guess we will now get to watch him slowly take over and outgrow his new bed.

I must admit that I do miss hearing him sleep on the other side of the room. I enjoyed the brief time when I could just lay in bed and listen for his muffled snores (and sometimes little farts). It was nice knowing that he was right there. Although it is much easier for me when I come to bed as I don’t have to worry as much about waking him up. He is already growing so fast and now he has his own bedroom and his own crib (where he takes advantage of the extra space by spreading out when he is not swaddled) with his mommy still watching him on the monitor from her side of the bed. Some things just aren’t going to change.  

A Good Place To Sleep

When we first moved into our last place we didn’t have much to fill the space and it took some time before we were able to make the small apartment comfortable. Over time we accumulated a fair amount of stuff and by the time we finally got out of that building we were able to fill much of our current house. In fact, it was nice spreading things out across multiple rooms.

Since we first hauled everything through the door it has, once again been a slow accumulation of stuff. The vast majority of these new items were not optional as we had a long list of things that our son was going to need both when he arrived and soon after. It is safe to say that this has filled the rest of the rooms and overall space that we gained when we moved here.

However, of all the things that we have accumulated lately (more about that in a separate post) there are a couple of items that are particularly meaningful to us. As has been evident in many of the posts on this blog (another one is on the way), family is very important to me and my wife. This is why we were excited when my mom thoroughly cleaned the family bassinet so that we could use it in our home (it has been around many cats over the years). My grandparents bought the bassinet 75 years ago and it has been passed around the family ever since providing a bed to countless relatives.

It wasn’t until after our son arrived that we were given something from my wife’s side of the family with the same kind of history behind it. My wife’s cousin approached us and said that she had something very special for our son. As it turns out my wife’s great grandmother had knitted a blanket over 40 years ago for her cousin but, for one reason or another, it was never used. It was put away in a closet for over four decades before they decided to give it to our son.

The two are now together… two families now one. We don’t hold on to many items that carry so much history but it is nice to have just a few that we can use and, more importantly, that our son can use. Now, every day, our son takes his naps surrounded by both sides of his family and over 100 years of combined history.

Donate Space, Donate Blood

On an almost daily basis lately, there seems to be one thing or another that I need to address when it comes to keeping things running as smoothly as possible at the lodge. Sometimes I can help while other times I am not sure that there is anyone that can offer assistance. A midst all of the phone calls and emails this week revolving around a variety of lodge matters, there was one particular call that I didn’t expect. A call that allowed me to take action on behalf of the lodge and make something happen to help someone else.

As you may recall, the lodge conducted a blood drive in December and for the event we had a pretty good turnout especially given the fact that this was the first time that many of us were in charge of coordinating and the fact that we were late in scheduling the day and time with the Red Cross. Well, afterward everyone left happy with a respectable turnout and a lot of donations made. It wasn’t the easiest thing to pull off but the results motivate us to ensure that we make this an annual occurrence.

We had come up with a preferred date toward the beginning of the year and while I had been meaning to call the coordinator I simply haven’t gotten around to tracking her down. Yesterday I didn’t have to call her, all I had to do was pick up the phone. As it turns out, the Red Cross needed our help. The venue that they were scheduled to use on April 18^th was now unavailable and so the scheduled blood drive had everything but a location.

After making a few calls and making sure many of the brothers were on board I was able to call her back and offer her, on behalf of all the brothers, the use of the lodge for that particular day. While it was by no means an expected task during a busy week, it was gratifying to know that we were able to help in some small way. Of course, while I had her on the phone I also booked our blood drive for the fall on Saturday, October 3^rd, from 10am to 3pm.

I guess it is a simple lesson that while it is good to seek out ways to help the community sometimes you just have to keep yourself open and pick up the phone when it rings. You never know, you could make a difference just by answering. So, whether you are free in April or October (or both), take some time out of your day, give something to those in need, and donate blood.

Changes, Space, And A New Routine

One of the worst things about moving, besides the actual labor involved in cleaning, moving, and reorganizing all of our stuff, is making sure that every person, place, organization, association, company, magazine, retailer, credit card company, etc. has our new address. Today I finally changed the last item that I could think of by logging on to the DMV website and making the update. I also managed to adjust my signature on my private email account which I seldom use for outgoing correspondences. With that being said, the marathon of phone calls, logins, and returned letters is probably not over as I am certain that there is at least one or two or more things that have slipped my mind.

Now that we have been in the new place for a little while we are also starting to get our routine down especially in the morning. To say that things are easier than they were at the apartment would be an understatement. While we are still trying to get ready at the same time, there is a lot more space so that we can both get ready rather than taking turns and making one another late every morning. The evening is also more relaxing as I can walk in the door and have the space to put everything down without having to maneuver around my wife as I shuffle through a galley kitchen.

Even the commute, which has proven to be shorter and much more reliable even with the ice, snow, and cold lately, is becoming more routine as my muscle memory is not trying to take me onto a highway that would point me in the wrong direction. It has been more relaxing as well with the steady flow of traffic and minimal merging necessary to get to and from the office. Even the drive from the lodge hasn’t been much longer as there are few traffic signals that I need to traverse during this new routine drive.

After all of the change and chaos that has and continues to dominate our lives, it is nice to have things settle down a little bit and give us some regularity to our days. This is what we have been needing for some time and the space (both inside our home and in the general area) has kept at least some of the stress at bay. Hopefully this continues and will continue to keep us level as the due date approaches. I’m just glad that this is the place that he will first call home rather than the cramp confines of our previous dwelling. Until then I am going to continue enjoying the new routine.

Firearms Friday: We All Need A Good Work Bench

For the last few years, while my wife were living in an apartment packed from end to end, top to bottom, I had to have my desk serve double duty as my work bench as well. It was always a process and a project just to get things started as everything needed to be cleaned off from the usual work day so that I could pull out the work mat and attach the vice to the side. Once that was all done, it didn’t really leave much time to get things done. Of course, having the office next to the bedroom didn’t allow for any work getting done beyond cleaning at night either.

Now, in our spacious new place, for the first time I am able to set up a dedicated work bench (from Home Depot) in the basement, two floors away from the bedrooms. In a different part of the space I have my desk set up solely dedicated to writing, filing, emailing, and other work on the computer. Finally, each of my passions have areas designated for each. While I will maintain an organized space, there is no more clearing off and hiding away electronics, papers, tools, parts, and cleaning supplies. Everything can be left out, set in their designated spaces.

Just having each of these areas divided in the basement, I feel as though I have more time to do what I enjoy and the small projects that I want to get done are accomplished much faster leaving me with more time to spend with my wife. Everything is easily accessible. Still locked away but a simple matter of security that is still much faster than the previously lengthy process of shifting purposes for a single work space.

This new workbench will also impact my work as it will allow me to bring new content to this blog. Reviews of firearms, equipment, and parts can now be achieved now that I have a work area dedicated to those projects. I can also now take on minor cleaning, repairing, and upgrading projects that will not only provide additional content but will allow me to better educate myself on different processes and systems. So look for some different content every Firearms Friday as I continue to organize and get my work bench outfitted to fit my needs. It should be fun and provide a much needed respite both now and in the future!

Transformation

We have now been living in our townhouse for over a week and things are starting to come together. The move was smooth, the boxes are slowly disappearing, and new furniture (mostly for the baby at this point) is showing up at our door every other day. I am pretty sure that FedEx is hating us right about now. It is all coming together piece by piece and starting to feel more like a home with every day that passes.

While we haven’t had much time to talk with our neighbors, we have met most of them and their friendliness is something that we have been seeking for some time. More importantly, the people that we have met enjoy where they are and have no plans on moving anytime soon. While there were a few like that in our previous place, the door kept swinging around with people moving in and out on a regular basis.

Of course, compared to our apartment, it is nice to have some breathing room. We have more than doubled our living space with the move and it has been nice to be able to have a little separation at times when we need to get work done, talk on the phone, or simply sleep. Even with our son on the way and the mountains of stuff that will come with him, we are still looking at a much more comfortable living situation.

Even the commute has been better for both of us with my wife only about 10 minutes from work and mine consisting of a few quick turns and letting cruise control take over for about 30 a half hour. I don’t mind the time in the car but at least now it is much less aggravating (I don’t have to take the perpetually congested roads) and much more consistent. Heck, even my gas mileage is enjoying the change.

It finally feels like we are going to be able to turn this place into a home. It has been a long search and a number of years, but we are finally making some progress in this area. It is a transformation that we have yet to accomplish and we were beginning to see the process as some kind of alchemy. Sure there have been places that have served us well on the surface but once you peeled away the plating, the lead core was clear. While I don’t expect everything to be golden, it would be nice to at least have something consisting of silver or bronze.

Three Years Later…

In addition to everything else that has been going on in our life recently, we have also been looking here and there for a new place to live. This really isn’t a surprise given the issues that we have had with our current residence especially over the past year. Well, we have finally found a place and we are busy packing the apartment. Between the other things that are on our schedule this month, we will be packing and moving everything about 45 minutes away in Chester Springs.

The new place will significantly shorten my wife’s commute to work while it will cut about 5 minutes \off of my drive despite being a few more miles each way. However, the biggest change will be the drastic increase in the amount of living space. The apartment that we have spent the last three years in has approximately 700 square feet while our new dwelling is 1400 square feet plus a finished basement. And, better yet, we will go from one bathroom to two and a half (those of you who are married understand the importance of this upgrade).

However, at the moment we are carrying two leases. We are attempting to ‘play nice’ in our request to terminate the lease for our apartment and hopefully that will come through. Although I am planning for the usual cluster that has become increasingly commonplace during our time living in the building. I guess we will have to wait and see if they want to play nice as well.

In the meantime, we are not going to let that stop us from moving forward (westward actually). There is a fresh coat of paint, new carpet, and a few other upgrades in the new place that we are looking forward to and I will have my own office and workbench area in the basement. The move has already begin with a few dozen boxes stacked in the corner and even more boxes packed and piled in the apartment. Once we have some more time, we will get a few movers and finish the job.

So, with the year coming to an end there is another change happening. We would have liked to have done this sooner but some things you can’t really plan for and you have to just let them happen. It’s not an easy time to move but nothing that we can’t make happen. And while no one enjoys the process of moving, we are looking forward to settling in to a new space and starting the next stage of our life.

Space, The Current Frontier…

Over the past month my wife and I have continued to stay busy with the growing list of things that we need to get done before the baby arrives and other things that need to be taken care of in the family. Lately there has seldom been a day that we could find the time just to breath and pull back from all of the chaos that is currently surrounding us. Of course, there have been other things and people that have continued to pull us into various situations which was not helping things either.

There comes a point, which we came to last week, when you simply have to pull back and look at the larger picture. We would like to do anything and everything that we can, help in any way we are able, and generally just check things off of our lists of task that we need to get done. However, some of those things are hurting everyone more than they are helping anyone. This past week we came to that conclusion, pulled back from certain things, and refocused on the positive changes in our lives.

The space that we gained, the calmness achieved, and the focus we now have is something that has been missing over the past month. We are finally able to breathe and recover from all that is happening around us. Don’t get me wrong, we cannot fully disengage from those people and situations around us but we can’t let them run our lives either.

We have grown to appreciate the need for space. Both from situations and people but also in the physical area around us. Life had become incredibly cramped and it was time to reset the boundaries, reorganize, and embrace the space that we have in our life. This is necessary not just to protect ourselves but our baby as well. Frankly, we don’t want our child to feel as though they are imprisoned but the situations and people around them.

The freedom that this decision has afforded us finally allowed us to have a weekend that feels as though it is more than a couple hours long. The days seemed to have slowed down and the tenseness has been removed from the simplest of things like driving, texting, and calling. While not a perfect plan by any means and something that we don’t expect to last, it is the best option that we have in front of us and, so far, making that space is just what we needed.

Time Flies When I’m Thinking

Last night I had planned on going to bed early. Around ten, I sat at my desk to clean out some receipts from my wallet and throw them in the shred box. This is a simple task that should have taken no more than ten minutes. However, I found myself sitting there, staring at the wall, and thinking. A very dangerous habit but one that I can’t seem to break. Before I knew it, midnight had come and gone and I was just getting ready for bed.

Since the moment we found out that we are having a baby there have been moments here and there when I would catch a glimpse of how drastically our life would change. Last night was the first time when I really sat and thought about all that needs to be done and everything that we will have to shift around in our life. While time is one consideration, space is another and as I looked around our office, there are a lot of things that need to be changed by the end of the year.

It is nothing that we can’t handle but it is going to take some thought to plan out the moves necessary to maximize the limited square footage of our apartment. What can I say, we have a lot of stuff. But that is part of the process; that is part of the change that occurs during this stage in life; out with our stuff, in with the baby stuff. It makes me wonder what George Carlin would have to say about this change in stuff status.

Contrary to what you might originally think, it is kind of a relief. While there are a lot of things that we will be holding on to, it brings to my attention all the things that we never should have held on to in the first place. We’re not hoarders but we are not living a minimalistic life either. It reminds me of when we decided to move to Israel; we had to look around and figure out what we really wanted to keep and what we could get rid of. While this is not as extreme, we now need to focus on what things we want to take with us on this new adventure.

So now, in addition to the cleaning that is already long overdue, it is time to sort and organize so that we can begin preparing for the life that we have always dreamed of which is now, slowly, becoming a reality. I am sure that there will be times when the stress will outweigh the optimism but, overall, these moments when I am just able to sit and think quietly are the ones that will continue to fuel my anticipation. In between, I am going to continue working, cleaning, organizing, and trying my best to prepare myself for the changes on the horizon.

Not looking forward to that 'stuff'!

 

Attempting To Find Space…

Not much space left.

Usually as some point during any given day there is a time when I just need a little space. Not just physical space but separation from the noises of the world. Definitely something harder to do than to simple ponder about. Sometimes I can even go all day and have to setting for those meager moments of slumber to escape the world and get some alone time. When I say this, many people see this as a bad thing, like I am trying to get away from people or some people get offended like I am trying to get away from them. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Everything requires some space in one form or another. When there is no space things can tend to run together and just seem to blur into a solid brick, much like this post. Sometimesthesimplespacebetweenwordscanmakeallthediffernceintheworldwhentryingtocomprehendwhatisrightinfrontofyou. Even the commute back and forth to work is filled with a lack of space from the cars on the road crowding the lanes to the constant connection maintained with my cell phone. Space is more than just a physical proximity. Space is that single moment of nothing that we all need in our day. That moment when everything around us stops, the phone is silent, and the computer hibernates. It is those times when you step out of the office for a minute, forgetting your cell phone, and feeling glad that you don’t have it flipped out in your palm as you scan the screen or pick up a call. Space, in many respects, is the most precious and healthiest part of the day when you are as even keeled as you can possibly be. But, with work, home, lodge, and all the other activities that fill my calendar, the necessity of space has quickly become a luxury. I guess it is just harder for some of us than others especially those of us that have a mind that doesn’t seem to want to stop. The damn thing just keeps on working jumping from one thought to another without taking that moment to enjoy the microscopic space between the neurons. Sometimes the best time in my day is when I am trying to think of something, finally recall the information, and stop caring about it as soon as the information is retrieved. It is a split second of mental silence after that moment of forgetfulness that can be the most peaceful time in the day. It is a moment of relief that is rarely experienced and one that I can’t seem to find often enough. It is this time of completely blocking out the rest of the world when the mind and body simultaneously relax. It is for this same reason that many of us enjoy one sport or another in our free time. It is the repetition and focus needed that blocks out the rest of the world. You are in your own space focused on the singular experience. That is the time when we have all the space we need. I need to find more moments like that during my everyday life when I can enjoy life. I just have to find the space.