Let’s start with the house. Most of it suffers from the same curse our landscaping did before. It is only partially finished. Sometimes it looks like we just moved in. I bet the model homes across the street look more lived in than ours. The only room in our whole house that is really finished is our kitchen and even that needs work.

Inspired by a gift we received at Christmas, we decided to start with the bedroom. Seven years ago I bought furniture that was too big and awkward for the space. Step 1: Sell the old bedroom furniture. Todd already put up the ad: http://denver.craigslist.org/fuo/2780461740.html.

I poked fun at the end-of-the-world panic yesterday but maybe I shouldn’t have. The signs are everywhere. Yesterday, the Broncos lost for the 3rd week in a row and still made it into the playoffs. Proof of the effects of the planets realigning? Or to some that hell is freezing over? On the same subject, Todd and I watched a movie called “Home” last night. Terrifying. It was a documentary about how Earth is fairing. A few stats:

1. The world’s population is increasing by 1 billion every decade. The population of China is 1.3 billion. That means we add the entire population of China every 13 years. The total recorded population exceeded 7 billion on Oct 31, 2011.

2. Since my generation was born, over 230,000 square miles of Amazon rainforest have been cleared. More than double the size of Colorado. My generation could see it officially reduced by half. It provides more than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen supply.

3. In the last 40 years the polar ice caps have been reduced by 40%. My generation could live to see the day when man can drive boats back and forth across the North Pole in the summer.

Disturbing movie. It was a lot like watching Paranormal Activity. You spend the whole movie waiting for something you know won’t be good. Then they scare the crap out of you at the end and leave you thinking about how frightening it would be if it were all true. Honestly, I am kind of a skeptic when it comes to stats. You have to question the accuracy of a movie showing footage of “Colorado’s… Grand Canyon”. But I also think debating those stats seems like a pointless activity for most people. Common sense dictates that it cannot possibly be good for us to consume resources and energy so outrageously while the population continues to rise. I am not quite ready to board a pirate ship to throw stink bombs at whaling ships but certainly I can do better at home.

Resolution #2: Find measurable ways to reduce our consumption.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Yesterday I had my doubts about whether it would start out that way. I am usually inspired to pursue a long list of resolutions by New Years Eve. But yesterday morning I didn’t feel inspired by anything. We wiped ourselves out all month and our original plan was to stay home. But going to bed early seemed like the wrong way to start 2012. You know, with the Apocalypse right around the corner and all that.

At the last minute we called my aunt and uncle and invited ourselves to their party. When it comes to entertaining, they never disappoint. It wasn’t long before I was inspired to make my first resolution for this year: To exploring the unknown. To do things I’ve never done and go places I’ve never gone. And to search for adventure where I might never have looked before…

A nursing home, for instance. Never thought I’d be crashing a private party at a nursing home on New Year’s Eve. Oh man. Hilarious! Ever watched 90 year olds who can barely get out of a chair shake their groove thang? What a riot! One gentleman was a real lady killer. He would scan the room before each song and finally point at some lucky lady to join him on the dance floor. Hahaha.

Here is my talented Aunt Debbie singing with her band at Arvada Estates Independent Senior Living

Debbie’s hands working the piano:

At first I thought this guy was just shuffling his way back to his room after a short serenade. But look closer…

After the party we headed back to Uncle Edward’s house to play cards. Stayed up just late enough to watch the ball drop on Times Square and kiss my sweetheart goodnight. 2012 is going to be a good year.

1. Did the guy sustain injuries? Obviously.
2. Should the defendant have known about the danger? Jury said yes. It was reasonable to expect that the supervisors during inspections should have noticed the exposed toggle switch on the table saw and known about the dangers.
3. Did the defendant use a reasonable amount of care to prevent the danger on the property? Jury said no. The supervisors didn’t have knowledge of working table saws. But if they were responsible for safety it is reasonable to expect them to gain that knowledge.
4. Did this failure to use reasonable care cause the injuries? Jury said yes. The accident could have been easily prevented by reasonable knowledge of safety standards when it comes to table saws..

So the verdict was in favor of the inmate. But there was a second part. Obviously they couldn’t place ALL the blame on the prison. A skilled carpenter working a table saw could have also prevented the injury by not standing so close to the switch with his fingers by the blades. So they also had to determine what percentage the prison was at fault vs the inmate. They decided the fault was 50/50 and thus the damages awarded were half of the number they came up with which amounted to around 82 grand. It is something. But you still have to feel bad for the guy. HIs days of being a carpenter are over. Not to mention the pains he is likely to have for the rest of his life. Anyway, interesting week for Todd.

In unrelated news, Todd just finished four days of jury duty. The case was about an inmate, formerly a carpenter, who was hired to work in the prison workshop. He was adjusting some wood on an old table saw and accidentally bumped a toggle switch that turned the saw on and cut a few fingers off. So he was suing the company that owned the prison for liability due to an unsafe work environment. He stated that it was the job of the supervisors to inspect the equipment for safely issues. Just given that very limited information, what do you think the outcome was?

Here are the questions they had to answer before delivering a verdict:

1. Did the plaintiff (the inmate) suffer from injuries, damages, or losses. (Easy enough, he just showed them his hand. I guess some of the jurors said they couldn’t sleep after seeing it).

2. Did the defendant (the prison) have knowledge, or should they have had knowledge about the danger on the property?

3. Did the defendant (the prison) use reasonable care in preventing the danger on the property?

4. Did the defendant’s failure to use reasonable care cause the inmates injuries?

[This reminds me of the homework I had in my Business Law class in college. Read a case, answer questions, deliver our verdict, and find out the next day what the actual outcome was. So… guess.]

LANDSCAPE: Path around the house
The flagstone path on the North side is going back in. The top will have the same pieces as the beautiful path my friends built for me before but it will now be strengthened and reinforced. Same path, better structure and foundation. An upgraded version without teetering pieces and weeds in the cracks.

On the south side there was no path. But there will be.

TRAINING: Finally getting back to training more consistently. Same training as before (which means never a dull moment with CrossFit) but building myself up slowly this time so I won’t come apart at the cracks. Same path, better structure and foundation. An upgraded version of the same me. My diet is also still in order. Last I made these fruited chicken thighs off the Paleo Meal Plan website. Mmmm.

Fruited Chicken Thighs

My issue is always consistency. One minute I am super-strict and the next I am in line at Smashburger. So far it has been 15 days since I last stuffed my face with fast food and Dairy Queen… and counting. But I haven’t been militant. I eat when I feel hungry, enjoy some chips and salsa from time to time, and in fact have eaten a little bit of chocolate every single day.

LANDSCAPE: Step 3: Hardscape.
With the groundwork ready they poured concrete for the path.

By the end of the week, all of the main structures (path, rock river, and planters) will be ready for what they will need to support. (People, water, and plants).

TRAINING: Step 3: A lot more physical therapy left to do on my shoulder and leg before I can function at full throttle. Last week I came out of hiding a little and ran 5k for the first time in awhile. 27:39. Almost 5:00 slower than last year but almost pain-free. It has also been weeks since I have lifted anything heavy. Today is the day. Some strength is still there. It is just a matter of whether the structures are ready to support the weight.

LANDSCAPE: Step 2: Reinforcing the ground
Demolition takes a long time and is not very exciting but I guess you can’t put in concrete before you dig the hole. You have to prepare the foundation.

Concrete alone is too brittle to provide adequate strength for a foundation. It has to be reinforced with rebar to be sure the structure will be stable and support any weight it is intended to support.

TRAINING: Step 2: Reinforcing the ground
Same story applies. Rehabilitating these stupid injuries takes some work but I have to deal with them before I can really begin building. I am working my way up to 3 sets of 30 internal and external rotation on the shoulders and hips and icing every day. I have seen a lot of improvement in just a week. But it is important I have patience and keep reinforcing the ground I plan to build on until it is stronger than it was before.

LANDSCAPE: Step 1: Demolition
Work started at 7:30. Landscapers tore up all the mulch and weed barrier.

Then they labeled the flagstone path like puzzle pieces and temporarily removed them.

TRAINING: Step 1: Demolition
Physical therapy started at 2:45. Therapist tore up my shoulder and hip for an hour and sent me home to ice.

Last week I finished the Advocare challenge on the same day I closed on a line of credit, finalized landscaping plans, found out Todd’s sister was in labor, and found out Grandma was in the hospital with a broken arm. Quite a day. Tomorrow begins two major efforts. #1. Physical therapy. Need to build myself back up to the point where I can train and be active again. #2. Landscaping project. (Our next door neighbors just started their landscaping project too so when it is all done it will be sooo nice).

I walked around the yard today to remember what it is like now: