Building Green: Kristin's House Adventures: Towering Heights

I just got back from New York City. It was fabulous! While there, in addition to eating wonderful and expensive food, and seeing the Broadway hit Mama Mia, and visiting touristy sites like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, I gained new perspective on the tallness of buildings. Ever since beginning my house project, I have a new respect for architecture and for the process of building. What a skill! I saw many beautiful buildings in NYC, all of them tall. As it turns out, NYC is on an island, so there really weren't many options, other than up, when they wanted to expand. Knowing there are so many buildings in the world that are taller than my house, comforts me as I adjust my conciousness to my future living space which is tall and big. My sister, Kathleen, and I had a good laugh over my green building project and the size of my house. Truth be told, I know large houses are not in line with green building principles. I will lose points on my "Build Green" check list for having a house that is greater than 2500 SF. Somehow, it looked smaller on paper! I can't tell you how many times I criticized McMansions, and now I have one! That being said, my builder is following Energy Star and Green Built certification in other ways in building this house. I love it all the same! Its beautiful!
I also wish the local policemen here in Neenah, Wisconsin could see the taxidrivers in New York City. They drive really fast when given any open space at all (which, of course, is rare in the congested traffic of NYC). Talk about a high stress job--taxicab drivers in NYC have it. So I have another confession to make. I have achieved a record for my self in obtaining yet another verbal warning after being stopped for speeding for the 3rd time in 4 weeks. This occurred around 8 am. last Wednesday. I was taking a new route to work because they have closed the road I usually take due to construction. Unfortunately, I now have to pass through a school zone on my last couple of blocks before getting to work. Bingo! Flashing red and blue lights in my rear view window! This time, I did not know the policeman. At first I was ready to accept my fate for what I thought would certainly be a speeding ticket. I sat in my aura of doom as he went back to his police car to look up my record. I could see the imagined computer screen in my mind: "Verbal warning, 2 weeks ago, Cecil St., Neenah," and who knows what else! Then I changed tactics. I recently read a book, called The Secret. It basically talks about positive thinking. So I affirmed that I was a good driver, and that I loved God, and he loved me, and at the same time told God that I didn't intentionally speed, so please forgive me. It worked! The police officer came back with the verbal warning slip and I swore to him that I would reform.

I had no idea that I would devote this much space to speeding tickets in my blog on green building. I do hope this is the last time I have to write about a run in with the local police. Interestingly, I recently agreed to a month trial to have ads on my blog (its monetary-- if you, the reader, merely clicks on an ad, I allegedly will earn some money. So far, after a few days, I have earned a penny, and no one has clicked on an ad. So DO click, no purchase necessary. I will let you know how it is working. If there are no more ads, it means its not working). The ads are supposed to be ones that would relate to your blog. I had to laugh when I looked on the first day that they ran the ads and I saw an ad in bold print that read: CITATION DEFENSE, and linked to a law firm.