Out of the Blue Update

We finally got the deed squared away on the property.
The story is too long to blog but it has been messed up for decades. All square now so we gotta get moving on getting ready to build. We've started on the house plans. We just spent all day getting things fixed around our current home. I am too tired to type this.

It has been a full weekend. We had TK's fam and friends over Saturday for some good ole fried fish, hushpuppies and slaw. We watched True Grit on the big screen and even shot a few fireworks off.

TIME WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? UH! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, SAY IT AGAIN…

As I get older I spend a lot of energy thinking (worrying actually) about how I spend my time. Worrying about stuff is nothing new to me, but I keep focusing on that end line floating out there. Hopefully the line is a good 40 to 50 happy healthy years away but it IS out there. That is why I am hellbent on getting moved to Butler’s Landing just as fast as possible. I want to savor every season in that magical wonderland but they keep flashing by.

As far as updates go we have been trudging along trying to get things done. On the entertainment front we hiked Honey Creek Loop, which is a bear of a trail, we may hit it again in a few weeks. I also made my target weight of 180lbs for the first time in, I dunno, ten years maybe? The best part is we are still eating healthy and I have stayed off the soft drinks. I have also maintained the 180 weight. The impending trip to Apalachicola this weekend my put a hurt in it. I plan on eating more than my fair share of oysters on the trip.

Oh, and the new Hayes Carll album is awesome, go get it. TK is sporting his Tee in the pic.

So last week I did the Hourly comic challenge...

It was my first time trying it and I didn't put a great deal of time in it but it was a thing...

BOY THE WINKLIN MILLOW PLAY

Correction time: Apparently it is GUY wire and not guide wire. I’m learning stuff on this little project. I was talking about the progress with a buddy of mine, and after I said GUIDE wire he was kind enough to correct me without correcting me. He just keep talking and managed to say GUY wire about fifty time. So off to google I go and sure enough I had it wrong. I just figured; the wire is guiding the pole, y’know. Just like how up until 10 years ago I thought the first few lyrics in the All in the Family theme song was…well just read the title of this post.

To update things: I’m still running everyday and eating better. I’ve lost 10 lbs so far. I have a five more to go before I reach my target goal. Then I can scratch off one of BHAGS for this year. It’s been cold and snowy but we’ve managed to keep busy. We’ve hiked two times, seen two or three awful movies((Country Strong, Green Hornet, The Dilemma)

GUIDEWIRES AND POLES

Made some more headway on the great big move to Butler’s Landing. The elec company will be moving the guide wire that is in the way of any construction. We wanted them to move the pole but it was too big a project to get done without a lot more money than I have. Just moving the wire a few feet is gonna be $150. Yet another hurdle jumped.

With the pending move we keep running into naysayers about moving to the country. They all bring up the same negatories. I thought I would take a little time and refute them one by one.

· There is nothing to do over there.

True, there are not a lot of cultural happenings in that neck of the woods. Me and the wife are both 40 plus. It’s not like we go out clubbing every night. 99% of our time is spent at home on the couch watching the tube. Actually we do a lot of cool stuff but most of it is not in Cookeville. Yes we go to the movies a lot, but really we are only talking about an extra 35 minutes, I think we can handle that.

· There is nowhere to eat.

Again this is true; even though there are a few mom and pop restaurants in Celina they are still 8 miles away. In fact the nearest McDonalds is 19 miles away. This is a distance I am pretty proud of, especially considering this map: http://www.datapointed.net/2009/09/distance-to-nearest-mcdonalds/

The fact is we already eat fast food way too much and have been trying to cook more at home. The only time we ever go to a “good” restaurant is on the weekend and usually on one night a week. I think we can handle this no problemo.

· The commute is too long.

One of my favorite things about my new job is strangely all the driving I do. I love hitting the road with a large coffee and getting to listen to my favorite podcasts or some kickass tunes. I also currently work from home about half of the time. Since we are on the very southwest end of Clay co we are really only 30 miles from I-40. So you are talking about only adding 30 minutes max to any drive time. As for TK, she wants to work from home as well with her Photography business http://beautifulproof.blogspot.com/

But even if she still has to commute to Cookeville it only adds some time to the commute. Totally worth it.

· Gas expense will murder you.

This is the most valid deterrent that I see. I can’t argue that we will be paying more for gas. There is good chance that gas prices will continue to rise. On the plus side, I drive a hybrid which will help some. It’s funny but this is the point that people bring up the least when we tell them we are moving.

I have no doubt that we are both committed to this move and it is the thing I think about the most and I am totally consumed with making it happen this year. I find all of the detractors amusing but it is somewhat annoying.

I am not saying this move will be easy. In fact, I expect lots of sleepless nights and crying in my pillow throughout this ordeal. But to paraphrase one of my favorite movies (Miller’s Crossing):

“I'm tellin' you… I need to do this thing, so it's gonna get done.”

Smash gotta be Smash

Another great weekend still rolling since we have the day off tomorrow. We hit the Frist yesterday since it was free admission. Took the Kenlee Monster and hit up the Art Zone thingy. We skipped the big Impressionist exhibit that everyone was standing in line for. If I ever catch it will be on a day when you have to fork over the cash to see it. I can't believe saving ten bucks makes that big a deal but the place was super packed. Of course I can't really say anything since that is what got me down there.
We hit the Elliston Place Soda Shop afterwards for some home cooking.

Today we hiked for the first time this year. We only went to Standing Stone so we could make it back in time to go see the Green Hornet.

Now we are winding it down rewatching Friday Night Lights.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts Can't Lose!!!!!!

yesterday

Was our wedding anniversary. We traveled back from Nashville after getting breakfast at the Loveless Cafe. We watched Country Strong, which was mediocre at best. The best part was TK tricking me into asking for two tickets to Pure Country. She got me.

We started trying to eat better today and get back into fighting shape. I'm so hungry I can't think straight. More on this tomorrow maybe.

T-SHIRT MAKING

There are easier ways to make a t-shirt, and really if you factor in the time and effort there are even cheaper options. If you use a site like Zazzle or Customink you can do your design the way you want it and get it printed in Color.

Buuuuuut….if you want to make things difficult like me you can make your own.

Take a piece of freezer paper. Draw your design on the non-slick side. Cut out the image with an exacto-knife.

Take the design and iron it on to the t-shirt.

The tricky part is getting the tiny pieces in the right place. I use tweezers.

Paint inside the image, it usually will take more than one coat.

After the paint dries peel off the freezer paper and again iron the paint to set it. Then wash and go.

10 Years ago...

10 Years ago (technically tomorrow but it needs to be said today) I married the most beautiful, most wonderful, person in the world. I can't imagine my life without her. I am one lucky dude. I love you TK.

oh well

Just a few days in and I’ve already skipped a day. Oh well, I think I need to this first thing in the morning when I actually have a little bit of energy.

Blogging daily was not on my New Year’s Rezo list anyway. I did the 43 things list again. I did the list in for 2008 and got 17 out of 43. The main thing is that I hit my three BHAGS.

I made some progress on the land this week. I found out we can’t move the light pole that is right smack dab in the middle of the property but we can get the guide wire shortened. This will enable us to get some construction going.

and the beat goes on....just not as loud

So very tired. A day on the road has sucked me dry of my new year's motivational spirits.

Tomorrow I meet the electric company on the land to see about moving a pole so we can get to building.

BL Proper 2011

Four days into this blogging thing I figure I might as well give some backstory. The whole purpose of this blog is just a personal journal for myself in case I ever want to know what day it was I watched a Starsky and Hutch marathon. I also wanted to document the impending move to Butler’s Landing.

My Grandma and Grandfather used to live on about 15 acres in Butler’s Landing TN on Old Hwy 53. Of course then it was just Hwy 53. When they built New Hwy 53 the state took their home and they moved to town. Fast forward 50 years my grandma gives me the land. It has just barely enough flat land on top of the hill to maybe build a small house.

Ten years go by before we finally start to get serious about building a house there. The list of hoops we have had to jump through are way too much to type. We are only at the tip of the iceberg. This is the year though. I can feel it in my plums.

Arrow Ceremony

Years ago we did this ceremony that TK found in a book. The gist of it is that you make arrows (3 life and 3 death).
The death arrows represent the things in your life that you want to get rid of and the life arrow represent things that you want to bring into your life. You burn the death arrows and jam the life ones in the ground someplace high.Of course we did the ceremony in BL Proper. We also grabbed some bbq while we were there. It was a bit cold but easily one of the best days efer.

Ring a ding ding...

We hosted a family-centric New Year's Eve party on Friday night. It was great, we actually made it to midnight for once, and then some. One of the partygoers (Seth? Beaner?) drew this fly-ass truck on the chalk board. We fixed catfish, bbq wings, pepper jelly sandwiches, two or three different punches, grit fritters, and more. Note for next year: go simple.

On new year's day we were going to go hiking but it rained all day. We had breakfast at the Cracker Barrel and stayed in. We had a mini movie marathon. TK picked If Lucy Fell and Practical Magic. I went with Assassination of Jesse James and The Town. We cooked the ole' superstition standby of Black eyed peas and fatback.

A good start.

Gotta Start Somewhere...

Yesterday we put up a signpost on the land. Hopefully we will start construction soon.