Kitchens Designed By Non-Cooks

As I look at homes for sale in the Dnver area I notice that many kitchens which look lovely are not practical for real use. Someone who does not cook has had their hand in designing kitchens for people who do not cook. All fluff and appearence. Gourmet kitchen? Chef's kitchen? Nope. Sharon and I cook. We use our kitchen every day and appreciate the layout and know what we would enjoy and use in a kitchen design. I just wish we could get a self cleaning kitchen!

Colorado Success

Our hope for this trip to Boulder was primarily to locate a fully furnished rental for January and February for our "proof of concept" Colorado stay. After looking for a furnished rental for the past month or so, I was quite frustrated and discouraged. I did find something last week that looked encouraging. We visited that one yesterday and came to terms this morning. Then, today we spent several hours with our Realtor, Kevin MacInness and got a great general tour of the area and looked at several homes. In our two days so far in Boulder we have greatly exceeded our expectations. We've got a 3 bedroom house rental, in a nice neighborhood, in a town we like and we've seen what to expect in new and recent construction in the Boulder area. I'm smiling again. Now we can have some fun.

Contemplating Boulder

Sharon and I are planning on spending January and February in Boulder in order to determine if my neuropathy will be better in the winter there than in Glen Ellyn, and to determine if we really want to live there, The past few days I have been contemplating that two months and wondering what I will do with myself while Sharon is working. I won't be working, unless I can find a part time part time gig as I have here. That should be one of my goals.

Currently, even during the winter, I have things to do around the house to keep me usefully occupied in addition to my three days a week selling booze. Yes, there is house work to do, shopping, cooking, cleaning, yard stuff, home maintenance, ukulele playing here but does all of that work anywhere? I can explore the Denver area, the public transportation, the museums, the neighborhoods, sights, bike paths, fly fishing, ukulele clubs, photography. But really, will I be constructively occupied? Initially I can locate family doctors, oncologists, naturopaths, veterinarians, grocery stores, cafes, bistros, wine stores, breweries, libraries, etc. Perhaps a trip to a National Park? While I am in Boulder I will have at least one trip to Redmond to see John, Kristie, Avery, and Anika.

As I write this I am smoking a brisket outside. I won't be doing that in Boulder while we are there. I am learning the words and chords for "Nobody Knows You When You Are Down And Out" but I can do that anywhere.

Interestingly, I can see myself in Sitges for a couple of months each year because I have a routine there. Coffee and breakfast, then strolling the town, perhaps a bike ride, then lunch, then a nap, then time at the beach, then shopping for dinner, then chilling and maybe playing the ukulele, then dinner, then a stroll in town, then a nightcap, then bed. And then perhaps a day in Barcelona and then back to Sitges. It seems I may need to quickly establish a routine in Boulder.

Sunshine and Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome

 

I woke up this morning to sunshine after a few dreary days. It does change and improve my attitude to see sun. This really is one of my issues with Chicago in the winter time - clouds. I can deal with cold better if there is sun to go along with it. I just looked up the stats. On average Chicago gets 189 days a year that are sunny or partly sunny. The numbers are the worst from October through April where Chicago sees sun less than 50% of the time and some months about 30%. Looking at Denver for comparison, it sees the sun 245 days a year. Their worst month is February but even then they have sun over 50% of the month. We are planning two months in Denver in 2016, I'll compare the sun and temperatures and snowfall and report back!

Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome is closely related to Guitar Acquisition Syndrome or Gear Acquisition Syndrome. According to Wikipedia:

Gear Acquisition Syndrome (sometimes Guitar Acquisition Syndrome, both abbreviated to GAS) is a term used to describe an urge to acquire and accumulate lots of gear. This term commonly associated with:

Guitarists (tend to acquire guitars, guitar amplifiers, pedals, effects processors)

Keyboard / synth players (tend to acquire keyboards, synthesizers, samplers, effects units, etc)

Drummers(various drums, percussion, drumsticks)

Audiophiles (amplifiers, headphones, speakers, etc)

Photographers (cameras and its parts - bodies, lens, mounts, filters, flash, etc.)

Bike accessories (racks, lights, fenders, etc.)

The term "GAS" was coined by Walter Becker in 1996 in his article G.A.S. in Guitar Player[1] as "Guitar Acquisition Syndrome". The term started to be frequently used by guitarists and spread out to other musicians who were familiar with similar tendencies. As it no longer concerns guitars only, GAS is now commonly backronym

GAS shouldn't be confused with collection.

I must be serially afflicted because I see in this definition my behavior as it relates to photography, biking, and ukuleles. I also realize I suffer from Information Acquisition Syndrome.

My basement is full of photo equipment dating back to about 1972 and I promise I will wade through it and only keep what I need. My bike has everything it needs, but I can always use new bike shorts or shoes and why not a mountain bike while I am at it? Ukuleles? I've got five and I think I am satisfied. Two sopranos, one koa from Ko'aloha and one plastic from Outdoor Ukulele. Two concerts, a travel Kala and one for home a beautiful Ohana. One tenor from Mainland Ukuleles with a big sound and a low G. Related is the kazoo and the keyboard and a few gadgets and lots of books!

I admit I have a problem. But, the next ukulele is always beautiful or sounds wonderful or.... I can justify all of them, except probably the first one I bought and the last one I bought. My only disappointment is the plastic one from Outdoor Ukulele with a buzzing C string that won't go away.

I suppose this syndrome applies to wine, and cookbooks, and travel, and power tools, and bourbon. I am in trouble.

 

Fall Is Here And I Don't Like It!

Fall has me depressed! I don't want the warmth of the summer sun to go away.

I've been reviewing photos from May through now and realized that it has been a wonderful travel filled summer. I have been to Barcelona and Paris and Sitges and Girona and Boulder and Redmond and New York and Davenport and Austin and many places in between. I've been with wonderful friends and family and had a wonderful time. I shouldn't complain about the end of summer because winter adventures await!