This Summer and early Fall I’ve gone on a couple camping trips and one very early morning drive to try to catch a glimpse of the elusive meteor storm. So far I have mostly struck out due to clouds. However, this Friday night I set the alarm for 2:30am and drove up to the 4th of July trailhead and got comfy for a couple hours and witnessed the Orionids near their peak. It was a pretty impressive show!
I caught several smaller meteors that were just a quick blip in my field of vision, but there were also several that streaked across half the sky and left a persistent train in the atmosphere behind them. Unfortunately meteors are hard to photograph, so I have nothing to share in that department. Well, let’s see what google can turn up.
Last weekend, I stopped by the Rock Creek Farm pumpkin patch. It is only ~1 mile from my rental. I also tried my first corn maze while I was there. I’m hoping to have time this week to attempt my first pumpkin bread from scratch using the meat of one of the pumpkins instead of the canned pumpkin from the store.
Home building continues to progress. My permit is complete and ready to pick up! I got the notification late Thursday afternoon, and the city permitting office closes at 4pm and isn’t open on Friday. I will pick it up tomorrow! We are still finalizing what I call “phase 1” plans, which is everything to do with getting the foundation completed. My friends are building four houses in my neighborhood, and there might be some cost and logistical savings if we coordinate the subcontractors on those builds. So I might be sitting on my permit for a little bit, but that’s ok. It gives me time to research all the other steps.
I’ve been touring more model homes, going to building materials warehouses and showrooms, and scouring the internet to get ideas of what I want my interior to look like. There are a ridiculous number of options when it comes to tile, flooring, cabinets, countertops, light fixtures, and plumbing fixtures. It will be difficult to narrow it down, but the brainstorming and discovery phase has been a lot of fun so far. I’m starting to wonder if I will need to hire an interior designer to help guide me through it all.
In addition to all the aesthetic differences, there are typically several quantifiable differences in material options as well. Let’s just take tile. Porcelain vs ceramic vs stone vs glass. Different finishes, sizes, shapes of each tile. Different grades. My curiosity forces me to go read an entire article on porcelain grades and why they matter. Is a rectified edge important? Read an article about why that matters. What’s the water absorption and coefficent of friction? I need to know so I’m less likely to slip on it, and whether or not it will be suitable for use in a shower.
You might be thinking, “Why don’t you just ask an expert what tile is suitable for a shower and be done with it?” Maybe I’ll get to that point. The truth of it is, I find all this information fascinating. I’ve gone 45 years without even knowing how interesting and diverse tile can be. I want a little taste of that knowledge.
I hope everyone is doing well! Have a great week!
This is the real me. :)