the grass is greener up here on my new deck

we've been in this house for five and half years...and we've made a LOT of changes to it...inside and out...and we have loved every minute of it...i mean, the house is deep purple, what more do i have to say.  however, in hindsight i have learned a very valuable lesson...

the quickest way to dramatically change the way you live (at your current address of course) is to build a deck...really.  walking out on your new deck in the morning will become habitual.  there's something fresh about standing out on a deck...like when hiking a woods trail, and you cross a bridge or a platform trail over a muddy stretch...there's an inventiveness to this simple structure rising out of nature, standing over, looking down...even though "outside" and the "backyard" has been there for the past 5+ years, it's the built environment that enhances the experience.

with a new deck you triple, quadruple, octaple (not really a word) your living space, even if the deck itself is only a few hundred square feet, really all it needs is to fit two chairs and a table.  but the fact that you can now see the stars from a comfortable seat with a place to set your beer... now your floor space is Buzz Aldrin big.

perhaps the best part of a new deck is meal time...

akin to the whimsical delight of chinese takeout or pizza delivery, a new deck creates unpredictable moments where every tuna sandwich and breakfast muffin takes on the desirability of grilling out on a sunny afternoon.  coffee tastes better on your new deck. even in the 40 degree chill of fall mornings.  just snacking on almonds is better on your new deck, rain or shine...'cause now you're snacking on almonds outside.

honestly, if done well, your new deck will make your grass greener...

head in the clouds

"We'll be back", we said standing in the departure line at the Dominica International Airport.  

It's hard to know when you're telling the truth in these moments.  So often you go somewhere incredible and anticipate a return.  But by the time you plan the next trip, a new opportunity has come up, or tastes have changed, or you just realize the world is big and you want to try more flavors.

But this one feels a little different...

Perhaps it's the magic of  4000 ft mountains and craggy cliffs dropping into the ocean, the bubbling hot springs at every sharp turn in the road, or coral reefs steps away from the lapping shoreline.  

Maybe it's the Dominican people, all of whom seem to be jockeying for the "friendliest person ever" award.  Or, it could be that we flew down there with full intentions of purchasing a cafe in downtown Roseau and had already cashed in the emotional investment of living 1000 miles off the coast of the United States.  

Or maybe, we'll just be back...

this monkey's gone to heaven

five things about me:

1.  when i was 5 years old, i had a yellow blanket with silky shiny yellow edges...the edges were torn...i would stick my fingers in the torn holes when i went to sleep...

2.  i like math...sometimes i like to play with square roots in my head

3.  i've never inhaled cigarette tobacco

4.  i miss the white mountains

5.  3 years ago today, i married the coolest woman ever...she's in this photo...she's not really that small...but she has stood on my shoulders before