The New Space Race

We've almost finished putting everything away, and suddenly our house has a lot of empty space that needs to be filled with more furniture. Half our neighborhood is heading up to IKEA with a U-Haul for tax-free weekend, which could be dangerous. We shouldn't stimulate the economy too much with our stimulus checks, since we have an insurance deductible to cover in the near future.

One of the IKEA-going neighbors has a little extra in his pocket from our purchase of this really awesome sputnik lamp. Apparently Aaron (or Mrs. Aaron) thought he had too many. How could such a thing be possible?



After Timothy wired on a new cord, we hung it, took it down, and rehung it three times. That tiny ball in the center is a tight fit for twelve arms worth of wiring, and our efforts to cram it all back in there had created a short. For inexpensive repairs of lighting problems you created yourself, we recommend the Fixture Shop. It's next door to the giant head with the light bulb on top on Burnet Road. The sputnik now looks amazing hovering over our stairs.



In other home improvement news, we've been searching for the right green mosaic blend for the kitchen backsplash. We need to put something up quickly because presently there is nothing to protect the sheetrock and no caulk around the edge of the countertop. Between Timothy's Uncle Gary and the guy at the Tile Guy telling us how easily we could do it ourselves, we're almost convinced. We may attempt a smaller project in the half bath - a backsplash for the pedestal sink - to gain some confidence first.



The cat would like to contribute to the kitchen decor, but she doesn't quite fit in with the vintage coffeemakers.

Severe Weather Advisory

Late Wednesday, for the third time since we moved into our house a month ago, a nighttime thunderstorm brought hail. This storm made the previous laughable by comparison. We watched out the front windows as unrelenting gusts blew our trees sideways and hail pelted the house and landscaping. This photograph taken after the hail let up doesn't remotely convey how bad the storm was.



Gusts up to 59 m.p.h. and 4" hail were reported in central Austin. Timothy grabbed the largest hailstone in our front yard; though not record- breaking, its 3" girth is nothing to balk at.



With the storm hitting from the west, our house was substantially sheltered by the other homes in our block. We had one broken window, the single second-floor window on the west side, and only the outside pane shattered.



The west-facing portion of the roof over the breezeway and garage has considerable damage, with pock-marks, cracked shingles, and considerable grit washed into the gutters. Most of the roof faces either north or south and may be less damaged, though we've not gone up there to look.





Speaking of gutters, every one is beaten up. Even those on the east side of the house were dented outward.



Our fledgling trees were also hit, though they're healthy and should recover. The wire on the supports for the tree on the alley snapped, though the tree itself is still mostly upright.



This damage report is minor. The morning after the storm, Timothy and I went walking around with two neighbors from our block. Both of their houses had dented and cracked hardiplank siding but no other significant damage. As we discovered, we were all very fortunate.



The blocks further south were harder hit. On two long blocks near the greenway, the west-facing front facades had few intact windows. One street moved in around the same time we did. The other, still under construction, was described by a builder as a "war zone." Damage to homes and landscaping was extensive elsewhere as well. Some street trees were blown over, and smaller trees and shrubs in the parks were also uprooted.





Fortunately, no one was injured in the storm. We're feeling cursed, but I think we should count ourselves lucky.