We have been using the Chopper 1 for years. It does everthing they say. Not only does it split the log, it throws both halves in either direction. In most cases it only takes one swing. We have heated our home with wood for a long time, and own two of the Chopper 1's first production run, back when they made them with fiberglass type handles, and they are still going strong. This tool is worth every penny, you'll wonder how you ever got along without one. Keep in mind this is a one use axe, it is only meant for log splitting, if you are interested in felling trees this is not the tool for you. If you want to split a whole lot of fire wood, then go for it! Make sure that there is no one standing on either side of the log you are splitting other wise they are likely to eat half of a log, I have sent split wood up to ten feet in either direction while using the chopper 1 so be warned, don't let the kids stand by and watch unless of course you don't mind a big dental bill ;)

Right now, tomatoes are my LEAST favorite reseeders! They grew everywhere this year, even more than last year. Must have been in the compost and not cooked enough. Hating goldenrod - it tries to take over and there are several different kinds here; I was coddling one thinking it was Balloon Flower. Love: Alyssum Petunias Forget me nots Cosmos Ageratum (they don't flower as fast as indoor starts) Violas, but they petered out this year after a 5 year run First year trial: blue woodruff - asperula - is supposed to reseed. I threw some seed on the ground just a few weeks ago and it is already blooming. Hope it comes back. It's a lovely delicate blue flower.

Here is my list - - Additional blocking in the framing stage to accomodate grab bars, towel bars etc. Additional blocking being the slidebar of the shower also makes it sturdier to use as a grab bar. - Kerdi board for waterproofing - Heated wires throughout the floor including the shower area - Tall niches with shelves sized to fit the costco sized bottles - Tile that is not too slippery for the floor. Also used epoxy grout to make future maintenance easier. - frameless shower doors - we did pay a couple hundred dollars extra for the really clear glass - U-groove frameless - One of the bathrooms is curbless to accomodate access issues. Has nice looking grab bars and a folding teak shower seat that is ADA rated to 400lbs. - LED cans (california code) - Elongated Toto skirted toilets with sanigloss to make the cleaning easier - the special lutron switches where the fans stay on an extra 20 mins to clear all the steam. we used them with panasonic fans which are much much quieter than what we had in the past - wall mounted heated towel rods - hooks instead of towel bars.. I just preferred the more streamlined look of hooks - plug outlets inside the vanity to charge things. - wheeled laundry basket with divers to sort laundry has a niche to be tucked in. - separate toilet stall with a door. We did not do comfort height as we are not overly tall people. Elongated toto toilets with an integrated skirt to make cleaning easier and a GFCI outlet to plug in a washlet. - paper towel holder from Moen that doubles as a grab bar in the ADA bathroom. - accomodated for daylight (skylight or a window) in both the bathrooms to help people to wake up in the morning.. I love the daylight. - radio for listening in the morning. We are big public radio fans - wall mounted lighted makeup mirror - mirror defogger to prevent the mirror from getting steamed up.. - vac pan at the floor level that connects to our central vac system to make daily cleanups a breeze. I am picky about hair on the floor - solid core doors to prevent bathroom noises from being heard outside. I often have to get ready before dawn and the shower noise wakes DH up. - recirculating pump for our tankless to avoid warm water delays. Ours is integrated into the tankless. - Hansgrohe ibox to get the thermostatic control to preset the preferred temprature - Ebbe integrated drain that has a hidden hair snare. - Handheld shower with a longer hose to make it easier to clean the walls. - rain shower on a longer arm so that you can stand away from the wall.

I guess Godiva Chocolates are my favorite candy for the occasional chocolate fix. Sees Candy has gone way downhill too except for a few classic items. Their stores are full of candy bar type stuff and they got rid of Sugar Sticks!!!. Now, they still make them because they are still put in the boxes for holidays. But you can't buy them alone anymore. You have to buy a box of stuff you don't want to get 2 or 3 of them. I like Russell Stover candy at the drugstore. All my old favorites have been reformulated or changed. UNO bars are no longer much different from a Three Muskateer. Annabel took the middle layer of chocolate out the Rocky Road bar. Hershey's has recently change their chocolate Kiss formula also. Probably think we won't notice by introducing all the silly different varieties but people did. Even Lifesavers messed up their flavors. It will be just like what happened to hamburgers *sigh*. A whole generation of kids grew up on McD's so they think In and Out or Sonic are something special. LOL I still like Swedish Fish. But only the original red ones. The multi-colored ones are just wrong.