A Needed Rest With Sun, Sand & GOLF!

Acapulco was time to think, relax, & regroup

Well I've talked about it a lot, thought I'd show you what I was up to the last two weeks of May and into June. Some things were expected, others were amazing surprises, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll try to keep the words to a minimum and just let you look at the relaxation. On the outset, it was a very much needed two week stay and I started the month of June with my head full of to-do items and a reinvigorated sense of purpose.

Before I get too far ahead of myself I'd like to say a few words that can be touchy. Over tha past few months I'm sure you have noticed a certain woman appearing in a lot of the images and stories that have been on this blog. Shana has been a huge part of my life in the past few months. Everything from helping to clean the house for friends and family, to helping me work through still-very-real mourning discussion late at night, Shana has never shied away from the tough moments that I have in my life and will probably continue to have in the years to come. The important thing though is that she has helped to make a lot of those tough moments easier and in quite a few instances transformed bad moments into good ones. I just wanted to let the great friends and family that have supported me to this point know that I am dating someone that not only helps and supports me, but that truly is an amazing woman in her ability to be patient and give unconditional love, especially in circumstances that are undoubtedly difficult and sometimes under a microscope. Thank you Shana for coming into my life, I know the Lord has continued to bless me through your love for me and my daughter Ellie.

As a first in the past 18 months, I went on a 2 week sabbatical, the first on vacation, the second to L.A. for work. As I said it was a great break and I'm glad I could take a few moments away from the house and the stress. Here's a few highlights.
We spell relief C-O-R-O-N-A!

View of the Bay/It used to be very industrial port and gets skimmed daily

The resort pools/The kiddy lazy river area

View of the coastline from the balcony/Evening trade winds

The look I get/When I have a little fun

The walkway to the ocean was short/The coastline went on forever

Day trip on a VERY windy road to Taxco/Beautiful little city

It's called the 'Silver City'/The 200yr old Cathedral was beautiful

1 of 7 of the alters/Lunch was 'accompanied' by local muscians

Crazy taxi driver in a VW/STRAIGHT down

Then a few rounds of golf (like 3) - it was REAL nice!


Then was a week in L.A. We took the direct early a.m. flight thinking we'd hit an early round before the rest of the group came and the show got under way. Well we made it to the Santa Monica Pier and sat in the sun and had Bloody Marys and that about set the tone for the day/week. Not a lot of golf, but definitely a great work trip that was successful and fun with the team. Then after a great meeting of the authors that Meredith publishes books for, I was afforded a chance of a lifetime - play the Riviera Golf Club in C.A. - that's right THE Riviera that is a usual stop for the PGA and host to 3 different US OPens.! Hot Damn it was a great trip. All in all a great break from the load at home. Take a look for yourself.
Santa Monica Pier/Totally great - sunny and 70 baby

The RIV golf shop/1st tee view - amazing 70' drop (Par 5)

Me at the 6th Tee/18th Fairway with clubhouse behind

It's Starting to LOOK Like a Home

Well the past two weeks have gone by quickly in some respects and not in others.
In either case, much has been accomplished and the first floor of the house is starting to actually resemble a place that is actually inhabitable. But I will definitely not take credit for the mojority of the work, that has been the blessing of friends and family.

The first floor has it's final colors chosen (this was more of a hurdle than anticipated because in the paint chip-form colors look great, when you put them on a wall next to colors of wood and different lighting, it can go sideways) and in a lot of cases is actually on the walls and ceilings. A majority of the painting was done by Brittany last week when I was taking in a bit of sunshine and frosty Coronas by the pool. Brit has also agreed to finish the sun room this week while I'm away on business in L.A. It really was amazing walking back into the house and the places I left half 'cut-in' before vacation, to find them completed and perfectly completed really was a fantastic finish to a much needed vacation.

I took Memorial Day then to play a little catch up before I leave for L.A. Shana and her boys, Jake and Sam, as well as Ellie also chipped in and we really had a great time chipping away at some of the smaller things that have been hanging on the todo list for a while.
The living room with clean floors and no furinture

Views from the entry into the living room

Jake carefully cuts the two carpet anti-skid pads

One of two completed pads/The kids prepare to 'roll out the carpet'

Testing out the carpet/Having fun on the new floor

Setting in furniture near the window

Near the fireplace/Jake takes a well deserved break

Shana & I discuss window treatments/Shana & Jake enjoy the sun

Everyone horses around on the new carpet

I start to trim the dining room bottom walls

It's slow going - but the color will look great!


We took a great step forward to making the first floor more live-able over the weekend and it gets me excited that other rooms can't be too far behind. I need to think about window coverings now or my furniture will fade in no time because of all the sun, but that is already swishing around in my head. We need to finish painting the base of the dining room which is no small task because of having to cut two times all of the woodwork - once a grey primer and once the actual red color. It's a test to see just how bold I like the dining room to be and what kind of statement it will make, but I think it can be pulled off to be just that - 'bold but not obnoxious'.

With more painting being done by Brittany over the next week, I should be able to come back from L.A. and set more furniture and actually start to use the rooms. That is only after I mow the yard which is growing like CRAZY with all of the rain we have gotten in the last two weeks. When I left a week ago for vacation the yard was at that 'a bit too early to run a mower on without leaving tracks' to now being overgrown. It's to the point that it's so long that it will take an extra day to dry out - when ever it does stop raining - before I can bring a mower on to it. That of course after I BUY a mower. I waited after last fall/winter to not buy a new mower thinking I could easily find a good used one this spring. Well I'm a bit behind there and I have only found 1-2 decent options and am now in desperate need of one. Not a really great position to be in as a buyer who wants a deal.


Things are trucking along and I'm really starting to get anxious to get back to the task list and knock off a few more rooms. I will be starting to send out the usual email list again when I get back as I think I'm putting the to do list together again after a little break - and that's really fantastic to think about.

The Wait Continues - For a Reason?

This past weekend was a good one again. I only had two volunteers, Shana D. and on V. Even though we were a force of only three, we got quite a bit accomplished. I picked out some new door handles for the first floor - so they will all be functional now which I'm looking forward to. Then picked up more paint readying for the crew.

Ron started on the ceiling in the dining room and Shana set to work on the entryway ceiling. We got through the ceilings and even moved onto the first coat (of the third color choice) of new color for the entryway walls that will start in the back entry and continue up to the second floor landing. The new color really works much better than the previous two with the wood work and pulls more yellow out of the wood than mostly the red that is usually pulled out by the paint color selections.

Meanwhile, I was working in the 2nd story hall bathroom, installing the plumbing. I ran out of material twice and will hopefully finish Monday evening. I then will need to lay the 3/4" subfloor and then it's back into Meredith's court to take it from there. I hope it won't take more than 3-4 hours, but as everything else has proven, I'm sure it will take longer. No problem, I'll just keep pushing.

That brings up what I really wanted to discuss, the timelime, the lack thereof and maybe some iseda on possible reasons for that. I talk with my pastor every Friday morning and proceed to get amped up on medium Skim Mochas for the day and discuss what's new that week. That weekly time together has proven to be truly critical for me in my healing. Often times he is able to position things in my mind that I cannot seem to conclude on my own. Folks often ask me all of this will be completed and I often tell them that I have 'this day' as deadline or 'that day' as a deadline, but in the end really have no solid clue. There are days that I'd LIKE to set as a completion date, but too much is out of my hands for me to be able to say those things.


Which leads me to a discussion I had with my pastor a few weeks ago that I have been kicking around in my head a bit. Maybe the Lord is using this project in a way that is beyond the 'no crap moron' response that is running through your head right now. Looking at the entire project, this is taking WAY longer than I ever thought. Even with all of the help, volunteers, donations, advice, etc. this seems to be stalling a bit since the first of the year. That got me thinking, maybe the Lord wants me to slow down.

I have spent so many of my years running at full tilt chasing this and that. Ask any of my good friends and they'll tell you that at any time in my life, it has always been 'a challenge' to get a hold of me, let alone plan something. My natural response I think would have been to push through whatever grieving I may have thought appropriate at the time and then get back to chasing all of the other trappings of life. I think the Lord has reasons that: 1. that Leslie and I found this house only 3 weeks before her crash 2. that Matt Strelecki wrote that wonderful email and SO many people at Meredith got behind this project, including so many friends and family and people in church and in circles that I wasn't even a part of 3. that when I was nearing completion of the demo and rebuild stages that someone from Meredith stepped in to take on so much of the decorating and final touches 4. that there are now more challenges facing the final touches and I'm being tested in new ways of how to finish this while continuing to not step on toes, be appreciative and still get what fits my house and our dream.

Yes those are 4 large areas and I don't plan on hitting all of those here, but I think they all have a common thread. While I have said many time other people have been touched or changed by this, I most certainly have as well. I can feel the Lord putting His hand on my shoulder that keeps me seated on the chair as He gives me a lesson as a Dad would to a busybody son. Softly and calmly I can hear Him say things every now and again. they are not profound nor overly complex. Sometimes it's a simple 'be still John' or 'just wait John' or 'find the priority John and follow only that'. Many times these moment happen when I'm frustrated the most, when I can no longer take the stress. In all instances I hear him saying, "simplify". It's one of those moments in life where the less said means the most. I know what he mans by 'Choose the path of your heart'. I think we all know what means - differently to everyone- but deep in our hearts we cannot lie to ourselves and we cannot lie to the Lord. We know ourselves and He know us even more intimately than that. Follow your heart to me says that He has taught me things throughout my short life, take those things and follow his word. He uses everyday life events to give us illustrations of how His word is true. It's our job to take those illustrations and share them with others. That's how he connects with every generation and every people - life experiences.

My house project definitely qualifies as a life experience. What then are some of my illustrations to share? Love with all of your heart - all of the time. Don't apologize for loving someone too much because you can't. Family is the closest thing we have on earth to God's kingdom. "Family" can be defined in a lot of ways, but in all ways the family is love without limitation or judgment, support without hesitation and community without exception. It's also where we recieve a small glimpse of how special we are to him when we have children of our own. What an amazing thing we must be to him because I realize how amazing my little girl is to me. There are so many 'illustrations' that I have seen - some I'd like to keep to myself... and will share when appropriate.

While I most assuredly would like this to end TODAY and many around me would like it to end soon, I think the Lord is doing many things with this project for his kingdom, not just my life, that for now I just 'be still and wait'. I know he is here and he is not done yet.