The Lodge in Winter

(these shots were taken back at the end of January during our first couple of weekends)

We used this photo in our masthead above, but here's the whole thing:

Lots of snow.

Here are a few shots of the trees that surround us.

We're talking deep freeze. Our koi pond-sicle:

Had to shovel a path to the house for the delivery guys...

Bucky and the shakers!

totally self-indulgent, but here's some video footage taken last week of me giving a guided tour of the back woods behind The Lodge. Special guest appearance by The Sheds!

Our new set of knives courtesy of Marcy and Roberto. They are the most incredible knives I've ever used. It really makes all the difference to have the right tools in the kitchen. Like our new range with the middle bridge burner (with optional griddle for those pancake breakfasts!)

The experts at Sears were working with only half of a "stove bag" (their term not ours) so they improvised. With a few propane-conversion orifices missing, Wally fetched a few from his truck. One bridge burner is kind of turbo-charged for the time being until our new kit comes in and can be properly installed. At least they hauled away that old busted original stove from 1994.  

Here's a snapshot of Sears' appliance technicians Wally and Adam (not our Adam!) hard at work:

Time to come clean

Okay, I broke the stove, our first day in the house. There, I said it. I was trying to clean it out for all of you. Yes, you! because believe me, it was disgusting inside. Dog hair in the stove, I kid you not. So I sprayed it down with Easy Off, to the point I had to step outside to clear the chemicals from my brain. I pulled the "magic oven door lock lever thingie" to the right, set up the self-cleaner and left it alone for 3 hours. Then, when the buzzer went off, in my haste to wipe it out, thinking it would wipe clean easier while it was still warm, I pulled that magic lever back to the left. And well, it wouldn't budge. So I pulled harder. Stacie's mom Yvonne always says, "ya just need a little elbow grease." Well Yvonne, too much elbow grease and that lever snapped right off! Hence, the picture...of the oven door lock...detached from the stove...and the oven door is still locked.

Fast forward: New stove being delivered next week! My plan all along? You decide.

"You ready for guests yet?!"

Almost! Here's an update:

• The kitchen is set up, and the new, working stove (more on that later) will be here on Saturday. We are fully stocked with dishes and glasses (again, more on that later). A dining room table would be nice though, so you can have somewhere to eat. Hopefully we'll remedy that situation today (still, more on that later).

• The guest bedroom has a new Sealy Moonscape bed and a new sisal rug. Next weekend we'll put up some blinds in the windows so you won't be creeped out in the middle of the night when Jason Voorhees is watching you through the window. And I'd love to find a dresser, a luggage rack, or simply something for you to put your stuff on. Perhaps a small nightstand with a lamp. Maybe a chair to sit on. You can determine what level of comfort you're willing to put up with in this regard, but by spring it will be super-comfy.

• Next weekend our new Samsung LCD television is being delivered so we can watch movies! No Friday the 13th though. And no Deer Hunter. Still searching for the perfect DVD player. Yes Nick, it will be blu-ray. Yes Mom, it will play regular DVDs.

• Almost all the bathrooms are clean...alas, the guest bathroom is not. But it will be! Thank God for CLR...those hard-water stains are a bitch. And the new Aquadyne shower head we bought for all of you? Still sitting in a bag we left at the Home Depot checkout. Promise we'll pick it up today and install it next weekend.

• Booze. We have no booze yet. Soon to be remedied.

This blog post is dedicated to PowerPoint's corruption of America. The bullet-format is just for you.

I need a Fix!

Alright, it's only the 3rd post, and I'm already veering from the Buck, but while composing that last post I found a Youtube video about our dear friend Marc Galucci (the Gallooch!!) and his new coffee shop, Fix, in Echo Park. If you like coffee, go carts, Los Angeles, or anime, you should check it out. So proud of you Gallooch! Check out the clip by clicking here.

Hungry like a Wolf

Had dinner tonight at the High Falls Café. Lets describe the food this way: I'd take the Gallooch there, but maybe not the Carlooch. Chicken stew hit the spot though.

Somehow we were seated smack dab in front of the live music scheduled to play tonight...The Virginia Wolves. This hippie, pro-American, anti-war band was holding a "manifestival" tonight (no, I'm not sure what that means), and invited everyone they knew to come celebrate their new album, and receive heart-felt, homemade appreciation awards. Think homemade certificates and paper crowns. I choose to give out our own award...to ourselves. I'd like to award Craig and Adam the "Most likely to politely sway thoughtfully to the music" award. Although we obnoxiously snuck out before intermission—and lets define 'snuck' as dramatically vacating the premises in front of all of High Falls, because yes I dropped my coat when I stood up and then knocked my chair half over—we did our best to show our support for a local group with a lot of heart.

I learned tonight that if you want to blog, ya gotta have your camera with you at all times. Because if I did, I would have taken a picture of April who belted out the National Anthem at the beginning of the set. She rocked the house as if she was Jennifer Hudson at the Super Bowl. If it was held in High Falls. At a café.

Special shout out to Cluney: you woulda loved the waiter.

Welcome to our BUCK LODGE BLOG!

This is a forum to keep you posted on our home-building progress at Buck Lodge, a forum that allows you to be as voyeuristic as you wish to be. Also, we are craving a chance to document the history of Buck Lodge, so here goes! We're hoping that when you visit you're up for some guest-blogging as well, because really, who wants to listen to us chatter on and on?