Happy New Year Friends! (I wrote that in January, it is actually now past Birkie Week up here at the Crash Pad).
Solrig and Inge were/are quietly sleeping after a content filled morning/day of exploring the property, and of course for Solrig ~ spending time doing his most favorite things in the world, running after his toy in the snow and ‘helping’ me with tasks like cleaning up tree debris from the initial excavating (winter is the BEST time to do yard work in the woods ~ no bugs!).
This winter at the Crash Pad has been the polar opposite of last year. We arrived in January to snow melting OFF the roof (not through it), temperatures in the 30’s (F) and very little snow (as opposed to always snowing), a warm cabin (radiant floor and wood stove in full working order), a LOT less stress (because we can be here for a weekend, not just a single day), the whole family here together (as opposed to last year where only Kurt and Solrig came up here every weekend in January, and Inge and I didn’t come at all), and most importantly this year ~ a full roof (which was not the case this time last year). February has remained the same.
This time last year was one of the most challenging years of our life, and our relationship, and it took months for us to emerge from it and move forward. There is still a lingering scar from a difficult time, but it has begun to heal.
Looking back and editing the next story, I am thankful we made it through and can finally spend time at the Crash Pad doing fun things. Like walking the dogs to the back of the(ir) property (they LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it), playing with Solrig (and not shoveling at the same time), running into neighbors on fat bike rides (Kurt) and building community, and having time to sit and write and edit stories (D).
This is much preferred to last year where our time here was spent sucking up gallons of water from the floor that came through the roof after the cabin went up, completing construction tasks inside the Crash Pad on a freezing cold slab of cement and being constantly cold, shoveling ALL THE TIME, and hoping every day that the Crash Pad makes it through the winter.
But in order to move past, you have to move through. Join us on that adventure by reading and watching our next story, Six: The Roof
In GenX Stories…
I share what it felt like for me to accelerate into the MPT (Menopause Transition) in late perimenopause after finally calling myself an ‘athlete’ in 2022.
*Reminder: If you do not want to get GenX stories emailed to you separately, please adjust your subscription. Starting with the next story, I will start emailing updates in real time for GenX stories to those who are subscribed. So if you don’t want real time emails for these…and just want updates through the Newsletter, go here:
So, what is happening at the Crash Pad lately you might ask…

Well the biggest news is we PASSED the Rough-In Inspection! Now we can start to cover the walls inside (which we have)!
Passing rough-in also means we can finally close up the last exterior wall on the porch (which we have) and side it. After siding we can install the lights, and lastly a hanging system for the bikes.
AND the electricians can start coming back and doing their finish work. They have been here working on our backup system that will keep our heat, refrigerator, and a few lights running if when the power goes out. We are excited to have them come back and install the final lighting on the exterior of the cabin next.

Our plumber has installed the shower pan and all the piping for the shower. We have picked out our shower head fixture. The tile for the shower is arriving imminently and we have an installer lined up as soon as it arrives!!!
We purchased our wardrobes for the bedroom, Kurt’s desk and new office chair for his office, and an office chair for me (I’m going to have my own little spot!). The big boxes are all currently taking up part of our living room in Minneapolis. We will be headed to IKEA soon to pick out a temporary desk for me as well as an interim couch we hope will be more comfortable than our old patio couch we have been using. The plan is to rent a U-Haul next week (Fat Bike Birkie week) and take a big load up.
We have picked out our interior wall finishes. We have begun to install one type that will go behind the wardrobes and be used at the front entry, and the rest is on order.
The septic tank is almost full again (last emptied in October), so we will call to have it emptied after our next visit.
Despite my love for gravel biking and Autumn, the last two months have been my favorite at the Crash Pad so far. Although it is Winter, it has been extremely mild (my kind of Winter!) with very little snow. Winter is the best time to go on walks to the back of the property because there are no bugs and no bears! I am savoring every moment, while anticipating what I hope to be an early gravel season starting in March (fingers crossed).
The future holds so much possibility! But I am working very hard to live in the now.
Thanks for reading and watching äventyr.cc, and supporting my creativity! ~DeAnn