the good...the bad...and the ugly

The good....Easter was a huge success in our opinion. The 20+ people we hosted fit comfortably in the house and the kitchen/dining area proved to be well designed for hosting something like that. The island that I felt should have been a little smaller, served well for the food line. Ellen had everything planned to the final detail, even asking me what I thought about her plans for food placement on the island and the direction everyone should move around it. I was at a loss. I asked her what she expected me to say? I told her the only thing I could think of to do differently is have our guests walk in the opposite direction from her plan. I really don't think hungry people would care whether they went clockwise or counterclockwise, so her plan was ratified and implemented. I made sure to tell everyone which way to walk around the island.

The bad...For those who plan a home like this, pay close attention to wattage or engage a lighting consultant. I must say that even though we thought had lots of lights, the wood just eats it up. It's very well lit in the daytime with all the windows, but not so well lit at night. We'll need to employ table and floor lamps to do anything really constructive in the great room. I'm withholding my opinion on the acoustics until we soften the place with rugs, wall hangings, maybe more furniture, etc., but in its raw state, sound has a lot of angled, hard surfaces to ricochet from and reflect back upon itself. Depending upon the position of the source relative to the listener, it can be muddy and difficult to understand what was said. We did choose flooring and ceiling materials that unquestionably create the biggest challenge acoustically, so it's up to us to compensate. Something else to keep in mind, if your tastes lead you down the road we travelled.

The ugly....the ugly baby award goes to our landscaping, or the lack of it. Looking at our plain of mud that's punctuated only by Jett's droppings really makes me sigh. I plan to get started on this 4/25, weather permitting. I really don't think I can make it worse, although I'll never underestimate my ability to do just that.

The good, the bad and the ugly.. I'll flip my serape over my shoulder now, lower my flat brimmed hat, exhale a slow puff from the cigarillo hanging from my lip and turn away, to face the many and varied chores lining up to see if they can outdraw or outfight me, just like Clint in his spaghetti westerns. Can't you hear the music?