Adellabedella, I have to comment on your name. I mean this is the BEST way because I love these books but your name reminds me of the childrens books Amelia Bedilia. :) When my dad built his house he added an access panel to the wall behind the tubs which backed up to his closets so when/if he ever had plumbing problems he had access and didn't have to tear into the sheet rock. I have noticed in my neices newly built home that all the walls and ceilings are ONE color which I didn't like at first but it's seemless and in a way soothing. They painted the garage as well which I like because it doesn't show dirt as easily as white and reminds me of your garage. My sister also told us to add MORE LIGHTS and she said you can never have too many outlets (well maybe but have plenty) so we will do that, too. I hope you find a solution for your library door locks. Srercrcr - I like the idea of a larger propane tank. What a good idea. I'm glad you got your house after that many years of planning. I have a good friend who built about 4 years ago and I kept telling him "how can you leave your house where your kids grew up" and aren't you going to be sad to leave - but he told me over and over that he was SO excited about leaving and starting his new life. I couldn't understand at the time but now that we've sold and are finally coming to the point of building I completely understand. gopintos - I LOVE light too and our recently sold house was dark and cavelike for many years then we added a huge window and glass front and garage door (Which we found out later wasn't really up to code) but we were in the country and I loved having it since most people came to our back door anyway. I'm sure no one will notice or mention the arch over the front door so I know you'll learn to love it as is. I wrote down that saying and will print it out and keep it with me as I tend to second guess my choices. bdpeck - I never gave one thought to the venting so that's now on my list of make sure it's done right. I hope your mystery electrical issues aren't serious. That would make me crazy. I'd like to ask how many others put the small returns in each bedroom and what difference it makes. mairin - I'm very OCD too and I'd need my lighting in a line as you. I find structure and symmetry are calming to me. My just sold house had NO laundry room. It had a bi-fold door in my breakfast area. I HATED IT! When we were young and only doing 2 loads a week it wasn't so bad but after 19 year of having dirty clothes in my kitchen and eating area I promise I'll have an outhouse before I give up or have a small laundry room. LOL There's 2 things that are must haves for me: a man cave for all stuff and a decent size laundry room. I've reallly enjoyed reading everyones stories. I'd love to hear more. I have to tell you that I've lived in Texas most of my life (off and on 49 years) and this is the first time our lake has frozen this much since I've lived here. There is 20 feet of ice around the edges this morning. It's 2 inches thick with ice up the tree trunks and the base of the piers where the wind was blowing so hard the water Texas! Yesterday morning the wind chill was 5 BELOW zero here. I lived in Maine for 2 years and this reminds me of that time - but I left there who still lives in Maine that we need to move back there to thaw out. I'm sure many of you are having the same thing. Tomorrow is supposed to be better for us. Hope you all get some relief soon. Sunny

Thanks! Good words of advice. halfdecaf - I love that you repeat your vows on your anniversary. That sounds like a very worthwhile tradition and one I might copy for us. I know the "good cop/bad cop" role is pretty tricky. It's not really how we intended it, but it's how I feel usually. My BF's own father abandoned the family when BF was at a very young age and his mother essentially detached from the family as a result of her husband leaving. As such, BF had no healthy parenting images to look up to so he leans toward parenting out of guilt or giving in too much to his own son. I come from a fairly strict, but caring, family so I've tried to share my own parenting examples with them. The result is that BF's son now has a normal bedtime (when we met he would let his son stay up until midnight! And he was 5!), he cleans up his own plate after dinner, he's not allowed to throw things or act physically in anger, he's not allowed to hit his dad or be disrespectful to us without consequences, etc. So I feel like the "bad cop" because I implement/encourage a lot of the discipline and a lot of the rules about what's acceptable and what's not. The only reason it's working is b/c BF currently backs me up on the decisions and is actually a little grateful that I know a little more than he does about general parenting, while he knows more than I do about his son's specific needs. So I think we make a good team. Of course, if either one of us ever stops supporting the other, I can see how that might cause some mutiny... We are also considering premarital couseling. One of my biggest challenges is learning to bite my tongue and not constantly tell him what to do. I was single for too long and have lots of rules in my own head about the way things "should" be done. On the flip side, he was single too long with a young son - essentially living the bachelor life with a kid tagging along (have you seen the Adam Sandler movie, Big Daddy - something along those lines, but not as extreme). So figuring out when my comments cross over into "nagging" seems to be a fine line. I never want to be the "nagging" wife.

Campanula, I don't ride a bike although we have a good number of cycle paths around so the cyclists don't have to share the road with motorists etc. just pedestrians, also a problem at times! I have an excellent bus service (after some prodding of the local politicians, around election time is best!) that leaves from a stop outside my retirement village and gives me a lot of freedom to travel. I am entitled to free fares in non-peak times, all day at weekend and Public Holidays. I feel happy for someone else to do the driving. I took a lot of lessons and even had my own car but to no avail. I was hit from behind when I was a learner and this upset me so much that I never progressed to getting a licence. A later series of accidents even had me unable to be a passenger in a car for a while. I can still get an occasional panic attack so rarely go in a car now. I prefer bus and train trips.

I’ve project managed for owners on vacation who didn’t want to live in the middle of the mess. 2-3X a week pictures for them, and I solve the issues. Because the design work was all done in advance, issues that need to involve them are exceedingly few, to none. I’m there on the job site for the important times and dates, and performing quality control, with adherence to the agreed upon design standards. And they are off visiting relatives or staying in an extended vacation spot. Bear in mind that “daily cleaning” means “Broom Clean” as the standard. It’s not your MIL coming for white glove inspection! Broom Clean is chunks swept up. The area under construction should be a no walk through zone, behind plastic, with an air scrubber exhausting out a window set up for any of the messy parts. That’s an extra line item, as it is an extra hassle and expensive that many contractors don’t do. The return air vents should have filters taped in front of them, and other air vents should be sealed. I insist on it on my jobs. I also insist on a post construction cleaning service. That is not a standard that many contractors operate under. Those that do this will not be the inexpensive guys, as it adds to their overhead. Which is why it’s called out in a contract as an Extra Service level.