Why Is English So Much Fun ?

Song Of The Day:
I grew up learning English and listening to Gloria Estefan, which is ironic since I'm pretty sure she was originally a Latin singer.  Regardless, I thought of her tune "Words Get In The Way" from when she headed the Miami Sound Machine.  Sometimes in life, regardless of language, the words really do get in the way of communication.

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Is That A Tree Or A Bush ?

My wife and I go on walks in our neighborhood as often as the weather and time allows.  It is nice to get out and spend some alone/together time while getting a little exercise and enjoying the clean Colorado air.  There is a feeling of relaxation that always happens throughout the process of the stroll.

But sometimes (and very often lately) I am filled with frustration.  This stems from two different bothers that happen during these walks.


First, when did people stop caring about their trees or bushes completely blocking the sidewalk?  Isn't this an HOA violation?  Doesn't the homeowner have some responsibility to allow a clear walkway on the city-installed sidewalk?  It's even more frustrating than the folks with 2/3 of their monster truck parked across the sidewalk/driveway overlap.

Second, when did people stop understanding the difference between bushes and trees?  Most trees are not intended to have branches from the bottom to the top of the trunk.  That's what we call a bush.  Trees should have a tree-like shape.  There are so many trees in our neighborhood that have not been maintained and now look like bushes.

Both of these situations frustrate me to such a point that I am seriously considering bringing garden shears with me on our walks.  Snip snip.  Now there is room to walk on the sidewalk.  Snip snip.  Now you have a tree again.  Snip snip.  You're welcome lazy homeowner.  I won't even send you a bill!


Song Of The Day:
There's plenty of songs about trees or walks out there, so I opted for one about cutting.  Gloria Estefan's song "Cuts Both Ways" is both a great tune and also sound like it could be describing my feelings about these tree/bush bothers.

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What Do You Think Of The New Master Bedroom ?

I've already blogged about my "To Do List" while I was a temporary bachelor.  But as yet, I was unable to share photos of the main project on that list: painting our master bedroom.

Karen hasn't really been after me to get the room painted, but we've been in the home for over three years now and have lived with a green wall speckled with gold-leaf like foil spots, off-set with white walls filled with holes from nails and screws.

Bottom line: It was time for a change.

So herewith are the pictures, before and after as best as I could manage.  I can post them tonight and then will wait a few days to post the blog and link to Facebook (since Karen gets home tomorrow evening and I want her to see it first).

The BEFORE Pictures

 

Bay window (plain white before)

Northeast corner (green with gold speckles before)



Northwest corner (white before)



Southwest corner (white before)
(You can see our small patch of test color choices)

The green and gold wall
(AFTER covering with two coats of white paint)

The AFTER Pictures

 

Northeast corner AFTER

Northwest corner AFTER

Southwest corner AFTER

Southeast corner AFTER
(I was unable to get the same angled
picture of the bay window after the
painting because of the sunlight)

I do not have pictures of the new room set-up, but the bed is now framed by the bay window, where it was against the green and gold speckled (flaky) wall before.  The new layout is much more open and feels like we have a LOT more space (we even have a reading chair in the room now!)  If you want to see it, come on by!  I'd be happy to show it off (especially the perfect tape lines between walls!)  :)


Song Of The Day:
I truly love my sweet wife and have missed her while she has been gone this past week. It was easier to paint with her and the kiddos gone, but I thought of her (and her anticipated reaction) while I spent many hours painting, taping, re-painting, touching up, and then rearranging the room.
To my Pretty Lady, it is true that I would do "Anything For You" (even though Gloria Estefan's song by the same name is more about lost love, the title certainly applies here!)

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