travel across America

So this past week, we went on our annual family vacation. This time, it was to see my brother who lives in Las Vegas. We had never been West of Texas, only East. So this was a chance to adventure to something new. My dad does not fly, so we drove from Texas to Las Vegas. Another reason we drove, was to see countryside we had never seen before.

First impressions: Northern New Mexico is a barren wasteland. It's mainly flat, with no towns along I-40. Arizona is a bit more scenic along I-40. As you get closer to Nevada, the landscape changes, but not much. I didn't take many pictures of the drive, because the scenery didn't warrant usage of the memory card ;)

However, as we neared Hoover Dam, we crossed over the new bypass bridge (see below). It was massively high in the air, and much higher up than the old dam. You can cross over the dam, but it's mainly a road used for tourists.












Once we arrived, we crossed through the scenic city of Boulder City. It is a wonderful city with great views of Lake Mead and a wonderful view of Las Vegas. Boulder City sits above Las Vegas and just is a great town.





Once in Las Vegas, my brother took us to see the Strip (Las Vegas Blvd.). It is so impressive at night. The lights are spectacular. It is a wonderful city to see at night. All of the lights, the music, the big building, all of it is awe-inspiring. This is just one view of city.


The next day while we were there, we went on a tour of Hoover Dam. It is one of the seven wonders of the world. As mentioned earlier, the new bypass bridge is a new four lane bridge designed to carry traffic better. The road on the Hoover Dam is now mainly a tourist road, where you can park and walk across the dam. The lake level has dropped in recent years because of a drought and increased usage.

The following day was spent doing a monorail tour through the city and then hitting the casinos. The casinos are everywhere. They are all about low light because they don't want you to see how much you are spending. The sounds of the machines, the bells and whistles, the cigarette smoke pretty much sums up casinos. We watched game one of the World Series at one of the "sports books" location inside of a casino. I must say, I've never done that before.

After my brother had to go back to work, we left out Thursday to head home. This time, since we were so close to the Grand Canyon, we had to go. I must say, pictures do not do it justice. If you've never been, you should go. It's so worth the trip. The view and the depth of the canyon make you feel like an inch tall. I took many pictures, but again, it's hard to get the full experience.

It was a great trip overall, and I'd love to go explore New Mexico and Arizona because I know there are some great things there. However, I love Texas, and after a few a week, I was ready to get back home.

Friday Night Baseball!

So last night, me and a friend, Veronika, went to a Texas Rangers baseball game. My office gets five tickets to select home games each season. I chose this game mainly because I love Friday night baseball. I knew last night's game would be good between Texas and Boston. However, I figured it would be a pitching duel and not an offensive clinic. This is how close we were to the game:

It was an amazing game! Texas started out great, getting two runs in the first three innings, and then fell apart in the 4th when they allowed 7, yes 7, runs for Boston. This Texas team didn't quit and chipped away at the lead and in the bottom of the 8th inning, tied the game 9-9. I can't believe I witnessed this game! The plays in the outfield by Hamilton, and Murphy (a Baylor grad, who I watched when I was at Baylor) were simply stunning. Those grabs had to be on SportsCenter! The other great thing about this game was Veronika had never been to a Rangers, or other baseball game, before. This was her first experience. What a great game to go to!

the first cut is the deepest cut

Well, it was the last piece of crown molding. I put it in place, went to adjust it, and then it slipped. Before I could react, it hit me. I knew instantly that I was cut and that my teeth went through my lip. I ran to the bathroom to check it out. Yep, confirmed. I was bleeding and a little bit in shocked. Dad was there and I was like "I have to go to the emergency room." He tried calming me down, but ultimately, I knew what I had to do. So we drove to Urgent Care Clinic in Hewitt. Thankfully they accepted my insurance and with my co-pay, got me to see the doctor. He looked at it and determined that my teeth did not go all the way through my lip, but just pierced the outside enough to where it was a deep cut. So for the first time in 26 years (I'm 31 btw), I had to get stitches in my lower lip/chin area. So two hours and five stitches later, we got back home and I looked at dad and said "Let's get that last piece of crown molding up." And so we did and now the project is over. It was an expensive weekend, but my dining room looks great!

let there be light!

One of the great things about my house is it just needed updating. Most of which is quick, easy, and inexpensive. After updating the light fixture in my dining room as a part of the renovation,

it was a good idea to expand this into other rooms in the house. The living room is already complete, just needs some crown molding and other design accessories. The one flaw was the old ceiling fan. I believe it was popular during the early 80s. It was white, brass and glass. It really stuck out in the room. So I decided it was time to take down the old and put up a fan that has similar design elements as the dining room fixture. I also want to carry out this same theme throughout the house.

After the installation, I wanted to fix the light fixture in the front entry. This light fixture was also brass and glass. It's time had come and gone.


Now, as I update each room, the light fixture will be the shining light on the completion of a wonderful home.

A crown of many thorns

I decided to repaint and redecorate my dining room. The old light fixture was popular in the early eighties. The paint job was poor and the walls had many nail holes that needed to be repaired. The crown molding in the room didn't fit with the decor at all.

So as my first reno project in my new home, I thought this would be an easy room to do. Repaint, buy a new light fixture, buy and hang new crown molding.

For the most part, it was. Priming the walls was a must as the previous paint color was a Cranberry red that just hit you in the face when you went into the room. I chose a terra cotta color which would be a color a 1920s home would have, but with a modern touch. The color has turned out great and along with the curtains and other elements, works for the room.

After painting the dining room, hanging a new light fixture, and new curtains, it was time to hang the crown molding. I am many things and many things I am not, and I soon discovered that carpentry is not one thing God blessed me with. There are many things to consider in hanging crown molding. Make sure you have the right tools. You will need a miter box and coping saw. In addition, you will need to make sure that as you hang the crown molding to learn how to measure and make your cuts. It's also important to make sure the crown molding lines up properly top to bottom. You can make up for gaps in the walls and ceilings by caulking and doing a little touch-up paint.








After my second attempt to hang the crown molding, I've discovered it's more difficult than I realized. I have a few pieces hanging, but as you can see, I've messed up a few cuts and placement. So I have taken a break from hanging so I can reevaluate what I need to do and how to correct some of my mistakes.


Overall, this project, including supplies, has cost less than $500.00. I will need to save all the money I can because my next project is the kitchen

First post

Recently I purchased a home. Well, to think about it, it's been about four months - my first home. I am a first time homeowner. I figured I would use this blog to share my homeowner experiences and funny stories about home-ownership, life, love, and other random moments in my life. I hope you enjoy.