new project

My dad (cool guy) introduced me to rock climbing a few years ago. I loved it! I still need to get my own climbing shoes, but other than that, we have all the gear. We're planning a family vacation for next year to hike the Inca Trail and climb Machu Picchu- me, my brother, my dad, his girlfriend, and a girl she knows to be our guide. I'm super excited!

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I think in general, I lucked out. My dad is definitely one of a kind, and I've contracted some of his strange habits, that I'll admit- come in handy from time to time. For instance, my OCD like tendencies to compile intricate spreadsheets for any plan or idea keeps me organized. A paper clip clasping the inner bag of triscuits in the box keeps the triscuits fresh. And folding plastic grocery bags into a neat little rectangle and placing them stacked in the kitchen drawer is clean, handy, and kinda pretty when you open the drawer to look at them.

He also went through some stages in life that proved fun for the rest of us. When I was 10, he started roller blading, which was cool because he wanted to go to the skating rink as much as I did! He entered my brother and I (and him) in 5K races for inline skating. When my brother was into gocart racing and asked how much race tracks make, my dad made him figure it out (a lot of money, btw). Which made an impression on Steven making him want to own a race track. Don't know if he still does, but it's a possibility! When Steven was into model trains, my dad converted literally HALF of our living room into a train layout for Steven's trains. Later, my dad got into sailing, so he got his sailing license, and bought a boat. Later, he decided he liked kayaking so he now has 2 kayaks to take on his camping trips. He began a project to re-scan old photos and decided that it would work better if he built an 8 ft long contraption to place on top of the dining room table to actually photograph each old photo. At least that was more fun than sitting at the computer with a scanner. He built a gun range in his basement, shooting over the tarped pool table and into the targets strategically placed in the closet.

Usually when people I know need to live with their parents, or move back home, they dread it. I am honestly looking forward to moving back into the functional funhouse. I get to live in the basement- next to the shooting range, after he cleans the bullet shrapnel from the tub down there. I'll have the entire basement! My own bathroom, a pool table, 2 really comfy leather couches and a cool table made from a ship steering wheel. You might be wondering, what more could she want? Well. My dad and I have a new project.

Too many people are concerned with "decorating" their house while overlooking some decorations that could be functional, and fun, and a conversation piece to say the least. You know the foyer in a house? A large, open area reaching the ceiling of the second floor in most cases. Well, it's pretty bare, and boring. We're going to build a climbing wall to take over the foyer, and boulder underneath the stairs! HELL YEA! And if we were concerned with matching the living room decor, the last picture below might be a suitable plan...