Happy to Be Home

Despite all my years I still feel like a little boy within. I have a hard time looking in the mirror and seeing a fully realized adult. You might have thought the birth of my 2nd child would have changed it, yet I still seem to be in self-denial of the aging process.

In regards to aging — or rather putting it off — my wife and I recently bought a brand new home and it features space in its basement for a exercise room my dear wfe had always desired. But I’m seeing dollar signs when I consider all the big and small items necessary, from the essential but oft-neglected benches for weight-lifting and exercise mats to deciding on the most versatile of the many stationary bikes. Stationary bicycles can be tricky now a days. Do I buy a recumbent or an upright bicycle? Should you select an electronic or analog?

My dear wife appears determined to get one of those elliptical trainers too. You read that accurately. A stationary bicycle and an elliptical machine — not one or the other. My estimate is that it will go with the stretch mark cream she started using after she bore our youngest daughter. I may regret that jest.

I have to be particular with the budget because our new house is a bit more of a diamond in the rough. We wanted it this way, but we still have to cautiously budget everything, down to the knobs for cabinets (no joke). My dear wife has an ambitious kitchen cabinet refacing project plotted, but must remind her the sink for the bathroom she desires put in shall cost a pretty penny, as well.

Gratefully, she and I both appreciate the rustic, natural look, so we are furnishing our new home with unfinished furnitures. Of course, it still requires a little polishing off, but she and I can keep the expenses down and make higher quality furniture than we might buy anywhere anyways. I recently uncovered a good table for coffee with some decent, natural knotting and a console table in matching cherry wood.

And then there’s the great outdoors. For our patio we are researching an outdoor fireplace and we’ll furnish with some budget wicker furnitures at first.

Supplying a new home may seem so adult, but I can’t help but sense I’m merely playing house. The new exercise equipment and furniture only feel as a new generation of toys.