funnymonkey's Profile

How strong is it? Is it stronger than weeds? I have a small strip of soil between my driveway and my fence that is being taken over by my neighbor's weeds. Two years ago, they somehow managed to kill all of their grass, and now their yard is more weeds than grass. No matter what we do, the weeds come under our fence. We have day lillies planted there now, which are nice, but it is impossible to keep the rest of the ground clear and it looks messy.

If I planted mint, with no pot, would it keep their weeds out? I'm not really concerned about it taking over their lawn, as it wouldn't be much different than the weeds they have now and would at least smell good.

Is it safe for pets? We both have dogs. (So, I wouldn't eat the mint anyway, since my dog will probably mark it at one point or another).

In an episode of 9 by Design, they were deciding whether or not to put an elevator into their, I think, five-story home. They decided against it because the maintenance costs would be a burden to them AND they said it was seen as a negative when they go to sell it. Of course, they're pretty young with young kids, and they move often. But I got the impression from that show that elevators ultimately hurt the value of the house because of the cost of upkeep.

Not all elderly people want to be near others, but at some point, they made need to be. My grandparents-in-law are in their 90s and live in a small cabin about an hour away from their kids. Now that they can't drive, they're incredibly isolated. It's very hard on everyone - they can't do basic repairs to the house, they don't trust calling repair-people and can't take themselves to the doctor or grocery shopping. They don't want to live in a parking garage for old people, but I don't know how long my in-laws - who are closer in age to this architect - can keep up. This is a beautiful place to live, but it isn't really a viable alternative to a senior living facility.
And I'm not familiar with Orcas, but I know some people who vacation there. I don't think it is a self-sustaining island. I'd be surprised if driving weren't a necessity.
Also, I second the comment on the concrete floors.
The design is impeccable, but it isn't really a practical place to live out your last days. Unless you'd rather die somewhere stylish than live a few extra years with accessible care.

Yep. That's the Gettysburg Address. Here's the Declaration of Independence: http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/doi/text.html

For reference: Safety Goggles ($3) http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware-Safety-Security-Eye-Protection/h_d1/N-5yc1vZapy1/R-202061356/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
Glasses ($4) http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware-Safety-Security-Eye-Protection/h_d1/N-5yc1vZapy1/R-100055255/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I like Peapod for the convenience and they do a better job picking out produce than I do. Also, I usually stick to my list when I shop online, ultimately saving me money. Whereas, in the store, I'm more likely to impulse buy. The delivery fee doesn't bother me - $6.95 if your order is over $100, a little more if you are under. Plus, I can just hand over the coupons to the driver and they take care of it. They also recycle their plastic bags, which is nice. I've also given them plastic bags from other retailers and never heard anything about it.

I've never had a problem with frozen food thawing, and the one time I had a damaged product, their customer service was excellent.

Babies R Us has a non-drop side Jenny Lind crib, and is the only non-drop-side that I've seen. HOWEVER, it is made by Delta, who has terrible safety ratings. I don't know how many risks there could be with a totally stationary crib, but I didn't want to support a company with that kind of track record.

I ended up getting the DaVinci Jenny Lind, though we just got it yesterday and haven't built it yet. DaVinci is made by Million Dollar Baby. They have NEVER had a safety recall for any of their products. I think if you follow the directions carefully, and put it together according to their standards, you should be fine.

The Stork Craft recall had to do with the hardware being made of plastic and easy to break. The DaVinci hardware is metal, therefore more durable.