Books, Blueprints, and the Reality of January

As Holly and I continue working through the plans for our ranch, one of the things we’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about is the library inside the house. I already have a library now, which sounds great in theory, except for one small problem. It’s completely full of books. I know that’s ironic. A library is supposed to have books. But when you start planning a new space, you realize pretty quickly that “full” becomes a logistical issue.

When we were reviewing plans with the architect, one of the first questions that came up was whether there were enough bookshelves in the library. That turned into a much bigger conversation than I expected. We actually had to go measure how many linear feet of books we currently have. Once we started measuring, it got a little ridiculous. Holly and I have accumulated several hundred feet of books over the years.

Then the next question came up. How many books does my brother have? So we measured his collection too. Then my mother-in-law mentioned that she has a large collection of cookbooks. That hadn’t even crossed my mind at first. Cookbooks add up quickly, and suddenly we were measuring those too. It’s amazing how much space cookbooks take and how little thought most people give to where they actually belong.

That led to another discussion. Where should cookbooks live? In the library? In the kitchen? In the pantry? The real question became where you actually use them. We ended up deciding that we’ll need space in the pantry specifically for cookbooks, along with more utilitarian shelving elsewhere for the sheer volume of books we’ve accumulated. It’s one of those details you don’t think about until you’re forced to.

Outside of planning, I’m back on my diet and routine. I’m back to tracking protein, carbs, and fat, and working on getting rid of the Christmas weight. It’s coming off, just not as fast as I’d like, which seems to be the theme every January.

I also came across this wild truck for sale the other day. I’d heard about it before, but never really seen one up close. It’s incredibly expensive and honestly looks like something designed for a dictator or a mob boss. Bulletproof windows, smoke screens, and all kinds of add-on features. As strange as it sounds, I actually think it looks much better than something like a Tesla truck. It’s sharp, aggressive, and completely impractical for me. I don’t see one of those in my future anytime soon, but it was interesting to see just how extreme and expensive vehicles have gotten.

One evening, Ted and I went for a little walk. If you’ve followed along, you know Ted has had some issues with his legs, so he’s not quite as mobile as he used to be. This was a way to get him outside, get him some fresh air, and still let him enjoy being out and about. I could’ve put him in a stroller, but instead I grabbed a rolling basket I had in the garage and made it work. Sometimes the simplest ideas end up being the best ones.

Around the house, the boys talked Holly into playing a video game called Stray. You play as a cat in a dystopian future. Noah really likes cats, and so does Carlye, so that’s how the game came up. Sam said it was surprisingly good, too. Holly ended up playing it one night and actually enjoyed it, which was fun to watch.

On Saturday, we went to the gun show in Coweta County. It was much more crowded than I expected. There was actually a line outside just to get in. We didn’t buy anything. We were really just looking around. We’re still trying to find a specific pistol for my youngest son, a full-size .380, which is surprisingly hard to find.

Even though we didn’t buy anything, it was interesting to see all the displays. One thing that stood out was a set of AR-15 display stands that hold the rifle upright through the magazine well. It looked like something that was probably 3D-printed. A neat way to showcase firearms, although probably not ideal for long-term storage.

Otherwise, the week was about getting back into the swing of things. Monday was MLK Day, so work was limited. Banks were closed, mail was closed, and many insurance adjusters were out. I’ve always felt like the holiday season officially ends after MLK Day. Once that three-day weekend passes, it feels like the year really begins.

Now we’re fully into the new year, grinding along. We’re about two weeks into January, which is usually when New Year’s resolutions start to get hard. Motivation fades, routines get tested, and it becomes easier to quit than continue.

If you’ve got a New Year’s resolution and you’re still sticking with it, keep going. This is the part where consistency actually matters.

Until next week,
Shane

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