Bound copies of AOS Bulletins (Magazine) For1967-1980 and loose ones 1981 through 1999. Free for pick up in Broward County (N Miami Beach). Email me through Garden Web

My friend has a home very similar and she put in secret passages through the closets to the other kids bedroom! They loved it then and still do. They are 12 1/2 & 11yrs My son is into FBI, CSI and police stuff too (8yrs old) and we have secret places, old cell phones, spy gear to listen far away etc. I think "spy" has to do with being top secret, so anything police related but you can't tell it's used to get the bad guy LOL Anything that is hidden, special secret boxes, false floor bookshelf, toybox with false bottom, locked safe/type things etc About his room..........one thing I realized was that I would somehow get my thoughts/opinions in what my son wanted because I wanted it or thought it was best 'down the road'. I've come to realize.........let them decide and do it, it's what they want and will like it no matter what because they thought of it. I also have a teen........it's all changed anyway, new bigger bed, new mattress, painted dresser, painted walls,posters etc. What ever he decides he'll grow out of it in 6yrs or so........and it's time to paint by then anyway and sometimes buy new funiture too. Good luck with it (btw....green walls help if he changes to outdoor theme, jungle theme, military theme : )

Yo Ken, if your still around your up on this one. Far as Composites go I am with the Larry/whoever We are for the most part. Composites are really no longer using recycled material because there is just not enough of it so most of the raw stuff is virgin,the energy used to make composite is an enviro no no, when its time to remove the project composite is not real big on bio degrade its tricky to burn shreading it would be silly. Bottom line composites are not so enviro freindly. Info like that might suggest its not all that good to clean it either, with anything. I dont agree>> composites will out last Ipe, left to go silver/gray Ipe is as close to no maintance as a person can get. With the softer composites like Choice/MoistureShield even trex= tjunk I have found a coat or two of TWP 116 seals up the decking,locks in the color and keeps mold,mildew,stains from causing major problems. Of course not needing to do this is the reason the Wallet goes for composite in the first place. I my own self dont like composites at all for the reasons stated in several posts here and on other sites. Welcome aboard Larry!!! Sorry I dident understand your intent at the begining . John

My desktop computer faces a wall mostly covered with cork; the cork is covered with inspiration pictures and some impt info (like the kids' annual medical forms), tickets (got to go see Duran Duran earlier this week -- be still my no-longer teenage heart!). I see it everyday but I see what is important to me: my eye doesn't see it is a mess. But I just took a pic for you and looking at the photo I can see how others will see it as untidy, messy, not pretty ... but that's okay. That's how we live here. I think it's nice the way you're thinking of making yours pretty. So that's me being "on-topic." This is me being "off-topic": thank you both valinsv and ttodd for your responses. We moved out here (Boulder, CO) from up the peninsula from Val(Woodside) -- I'm making the assumption that "SV" = Silicon Valley, which I think of as Cupertino / Saratoga / Santa Clara, but maybe Fremont, too? Omigod -- Afghani food & chaat houses in Fremont! ttodd -- I absolutely know what you mean about being where you are meant to be. Doesn't mean I don't sometimes resent it, but I know that for whatever reason I am needed here and can best serve here. To my core I understood what you wrote, and I'm grateful you're there for all those children, too. Thank you. But I also hope you get something *just for you*!