Is this thing on?

Most of July passed with nary a peep from yours truly. What's up?

Not much time for blogging, that's what. What little time I've spent online has been focused on home remodeling and design-related stuff. We've been thinking seriously about a kitchen remodel for quite a while. Kim contacted our realtor who referred us to a contractor who then referred us to two interior designers. One interior designer charges $200 per hour and the other $50 per hour. Time is money! So I decided we should pull together a fairly specific list of ideas [needs and wants] before we employ the services of a designer.

The more we think about the kitchen remodel, the bigger the project gets--expanding to a possible three-room remodel. Also, with interest rates rising and home values in Austin continuing to appreciate, we're starting to consider our current house as more of a long-term residence [i.e. we'll keep our modest, low-rate mortgage, thanks]. So now we're thinking about remodeling options that would probably require an architect rather than an interior designer. I'm on the lookout for cost-effective ideas . . .

Right now, I have a lot of friends and colleagues who have recently sold/purchased a home, have moved, or are in the process of purchasing and moving. So there's been much conversation about all things home related. I'm very happy to not be purchasing, selling, or moving right now or any time in the near future. I get stressed out thinking about it.

Last month, we also went in search of furniture--seeking a replacement couch and maybe a chair for our den. I haven't seen much in my price range [or even outside my price] that I really like. I'm certainly not willing to spend a lot of dough on something that is "just OK." So it could be a long time before we find something we both like. Anyway, our search for seating culminated in the purchase of a cool pair of "Danish modern" end tables at a local resale shop. The mark underneath the table top indicates they're designed by Grete Jalk [I'm guessing circa 1960]. We will probably not use them for seating. Maybe I'll post some pics. I wish I could find some more cool, old furniture like that.

I also bought some old records at Backspin, last month: Gang of Four - Solid Gold; Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady; The Jam - All Mod Cons; Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind. I think it's pretty obvious I like to rock.

More to come . . . [?]