Its been a while...I've missed the oppertunity to get into the "writers zone" this year. Its not that I haven't had anything to write about. More so that I've had too much.
At the beginning of this year I had thoughts about finishing some cars and looking for a house with a garage of my own. No real expectations other then relax and be happy with where ever lifes path would take me.
Early in the year oppertunity came knocking in the form of a property that I could purchase and inturn help a friend out of a rough situation. The government offered a first time home buyers incentive and for this to work I needed to meet a looming deadline. One disaster after another tried to show its ugly mug during this process. In the end persistance and A LOT of help from my family and friends, paid off. I am now the proud owner of a little piece of this earth. The end... happily ever after.... well....maybe not...quite a few more suprizes popped up. From problems with insurance to many many varieties of green leafy plants, vines and trees taking over the whole property and buildings. One thing after another has popped up but in the end gotten taken care of.
Its now been about 6 months since settlement and I couldn't be happier. We've begun the process of reworking the garage. Cleaned out the accumulation of bits and pieces, concreted half of the floor and now in the process of reassembling into an organized space. The outside of the property has been greatly improved also. Trees cut down, stumps pulled out, ground graded, etc. Everything is coming along nicely.
It will be quite some time before I am all set up and back in the business of building things. To be honest though, I've had a lot of fun working in a totally different manner then I'm used to. Finally having the oppertunity to think about laying out a building and having it be a building with some history, not just a pole barn. Thinking about a house and how to repair or upgrade things. Its opened my eyes to a lot and made me think about things from a different perspective.
I think you get stuck in a tunnel of thought a lot of times. Your world exists just as it is. You can be totally happy with it and have no reason to change. Then along comes a fork in the road. Do you keep the straight and narrow or take the road less traveled. From my experience... that less traveled road... the one made of dirt with just two trails streaming along into the darkness. Its a pretty good choice!
Theres a world of oppertunity out there... take a chance and go for it.
I think 2011 will be a year of continuing this change and continuing to live each day with a smile on my face.
Happy Holidays
Zach
