The Fixer Upper

Despite all my years I still feel like a little boy within. I have a hard time peering into the mirror and recognizing a real mature man. You would have considered the delivery of my second child might have altered it, yet I still seem to be in self-denial of the aging process.

In regards to aging — or instead putting it off — my wife and I recently moved into a new house and this house has room in the basement for the exercise room my dear wfe had always desired. Of course, I’m seeing dollar signs when I think about all the big and small things needed, from the essential but oft-neglected benches for weight-lifting and exercise mats to determining the most versatile of the many stationary bikes.

A stationary bike can be tricky these days. Do I buy a recumbent or an upright exercise bike? Should you go with an old-school analog or electronic?

Of course, my wife seems determined to get an elliptical machine too. Yes you understood that correctly. A stationary bicycle and an elliptical trainer — not only one or the other. My guess is that the extra exercise equipment goes with the stretch mark cream she started utilizing after she bore our youngest daughter. Oh boy I’m gonna get it for that joke.

I must be particular with our budget because our new home is a bit more of a diamond in the rough. We desired it to be this way, but we still must carefully budget everything, even the cabinet knob (I’m not jesting). My wife has a pretty ambitious cabinet refacing project planned, but I have to remind her the sink for the bathroom she wants put in will cost a pretty penny, too.

Thankfully, she and I both appreciate the rustic, organic style, so we are furnishing our new house with unfinished furnitures. It still requires some finishing, but she and I can keep our expenses down and create better furniture than we could purchase anywhere anyways.

I recently uncovered a great pair of coffee tables with some nice, natural knotting and a sideboard table in matching oak. For our patio we are researching an outdoor fireplace and we will furnish with a little inexpensive wicker furnitures at first.

Providing for a brand new house may seem so mature, but I cannot help but sense I’m merely playing house. The new exercise equipment and furniture only feel like a new era of toys.