I'd never been in the Convention Center

My friend, Jana (not the pregnant one, a different Jana who is also a member of the BMS Survivors' Club), and I went to the Dogwood Village House and Garden Show on Friday. We had a great time looking inside the sample houses and talking to people at their booths. I managed to get out without purchasing anything mainly because I only brought enough cash to buy my ticket. I did enter most of the drawings so I'm sure to win something! Actually, I'll probably only end up winning a lot of phone calls from people trying to sell me the stuff I tried to win. And I'll have to let them down gently by telling them, "Oh, your product only looked like something I would want for free! Not something I'd pay for!"
I saw SO many cool ideas for our house. I made a list (in no particular order) and if anyone wants to make a donation to the Dave and Jo Home Improvement Fund (proceeds used for the following projects ... or other household improvements as needed), feel free. :)

1. An underground fence for our Echo pup. I talked with a dealer of the Pet Stop brand fencing here in Knoxville. He answered my questions and covered some of my concerns. The fences come with a written guarantee that they can contain your pet. I didn't ask, but I wondered how you have to prove it did not contain your dog. Will video of the dog escaping be sufficient? Or do I have to have a missing dog? It's not worth it if I have to lose my dog or show them her poor, run over body. And what if your pet isn't responding? Do they just up the voltage on the collar until each time your dog goes near the fence she gets knocked out? Or is the electric stimulation eventually enough to shock the knowledge of the squirrel she was chasing right out of her head? I still have some questions and don't know how long it would take me to be comfortable enough to let her roam the backyard on her own with the underground fence, but it would be nice to have. Especially for her bathroom breaks.

2. I thought this Kwik Kerb stuff was really cool. It's a continuous concrete edging around your garden beds. Right now, we just have bricks stuck in at odd angles. It makes it difficult for Dave to mow and looks rather ugly and cheap. This is a continuous line of concrete that they then seal and paint to suit your landscape. I put my name in a drawing for $500 worth of the curbing. That's the drawing I really wanted to win. I might call the guy and have him come tell me how much it would cost.

3. And then for Dave's garage, this Gladiator GarageWorks system. You install the GearWall panels and then hang the different wall components (hooks, bins, shelves, baskets and GearBoxes) on the tracks for storage. As an anal-retentive organizer, I would have so much fun with this stuff! And Dave would just be happy to be able to find the tool he's looking for and also have space to use it!

4. Of course, we'd need a better garage door to complement the new storage system. :) Oh, and to be able to have a garage door opener so we could actually park our cars in the garage! I didn't really find a garage door that I liked at the show, but we still need one!

5. I'd also like to replace the windows in the bedrooms and bathrooms. There were so many window dealers there that I got all confused. I really think Dave will have to work on that one.

6. Finally, I'd like a lawn nice enough that we need this. I'd just like to have soft, green grass and be able to run through it without worrying about breaking a leg by stepping in a hole. Our lawn right now is a safety hazard.

I'll just add all these ideas to the end of our list. At the top right now are the not as cool, but definitely more important, projects of plumbing and fixing the support under the back bedroom. I've always known better than to ask God for patience, but now it appears I'll be learning it anyway.