The House

To Mary: You and Me Together, We could do Anything - DMB





They just don't build homes like this in the USA. These homes don't go up in days, it takes months and months to construct just one. We know because there has been one around the corner under construction for the last 8 months and it's probably 2 months from completion. But instead of rambling on, here's the list of what makes this home better.



1. Location - It's on a street marked "Walking speed only". This mean's cars are aloud to be in first gear, clutch out, no foot on the gas pedal. It's a kid safety zone and kids know it. They are in the street all day long.



2. Size - With the loft and the basement it's simply much larger than the house we have in California. Only drawback is it's not close to the beach.



3. Summer Cool - Without air conditioning it stays ultra cool in the summer.



4. Winter Warmth - With radiated heat on the walls and heated floors in the kitchen and main bathroom this house is warm. It retains heat too because the windows are ultra solid.



5. Windows - The windows suck close. In other words when they close there is a seal that lets nothing in.



6. Noise - Close the windows and there is no noise getting in the house.



7. Quiet - Our family is not quite on the same page. Mary stays up really late and I get up really early. Like there is 3-4 hours between her slumber time and my natural wake-up time. With the construction the way it is, the person awake can make the house very quiet and then not have to tip toe around the house.



8. The Shudders - I said I'd comment on the shudders again. You want it dark in the house, these things do the job. If you are like my brother and work from 10pm to 6am every day, you can shut a room off in absoulute complete darkness and quiet.



9. Stair Case - The stairs don't take up a huge part of the house. Because they are semi-circular they take up a very small percentage of the square footage.



10. Natural Light - Our house in Cardiff does this too but you don't need a light on during the day. This house can be super bright all day long if you want it.



Finally, this house was buit to last. Much like all the buildings in Europe, it will be here for centuries if it needs to be.



It's a good life......



Dave