deneph's Profile

All the ideas are good. . .maybe. It's critical to understand how much this office is being used. If this is his full time office (he works from home), getting rid of an ergonomically correct chair for an unpadded, rigid dining room chair is a bad idea--you can always roll the chair into the bedroom when you have people over for dinner. But I agree with folks that a long (or even L-shaped) shelf/desk would work well. My dining room is the largest room in my place--I have both my dining room table and office in there. I decided to go with a low and wide armoire (similar to the linear at R&B http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=20181&catalog=room&category=rm_office&subcategory=wks_armoire but purchased off craigslist) and I've gotten used to it well. I like having a broad surface to work on--but then be able to "close shop" and allow the room to transition back to entertaining when I want.

AirDisplay is ok for very limited applications. I find even the best Wifi causes delays and imperfect extended display use. For a permanent third display setup, it's better to use a USB Display adapter, (one version: http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-BVU195-USB-Display-Adapter/dp/B002GHBW4S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342537947&sr=8-1&keywords=Diamond+Monitor+USB).

For SF, blockboard (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id424012571?mt=8) is also a great tool for asking your fellow neighbors questions.

tomatoes

Lovely, really well done. Where is the white cabinet in the front entry hall from?

When I lived in NYC, we had casement windows as well. The windows had screens that were affixed with brackets to the casement. The screens had a small sliding "square" so you could open the latch and the window. You can see a decent shot of the windows & screens here: http://flic.kr/p/9Wrp9n. Good luck!

I completely understand your dilemma, and I think other folks who have tried to be helpful don't fully understand having a meat and potatoes dad. I tried throwing a little trader joe's curry powder into a stir fry for my dad back in the 90's and heard about it for years. I'm assuming that's what you mean when you say "no spices." That said, here's what I would recommend:

1. A LOT of puréed veggie soups (squash, broccoli, etc). While I'm not an expert, I know there are vegan-friendly ways to achieve the "creamy" effect.
2. Rice options. I would make a batch of "fried" rice (no eggs, of course), with various veggies.
3. Risotto. A nice, mellow mushroom risotto is a great option.
4. Don't forget the portabello mushroom--it has a great meaty feel to even the heartiest meat eater.
5. Stuff your veggies--sautee some rice in a dad-friendly sauce (I typically use tomato, but something else would do) and stuff it into a veggie and bake. If bell peppers are too acidic, squashes can also work well.

Be willing to go out once or twice and give both you and Dad a break!

Good luck!

I'm a huge audiobook fan (learned to love them when I had a long commute). Most public libraries also offer emedia (including ipod and mp3 player-friendly audiobooks) that you can borrow for free. I canceled my audible membership once the library audio books were made available for ipods.

I don't know if Sieggo will see this, but for her drop ceiling challenge, they now have pressed tin style tiles for those ceilings: a quick search brought up: http://www.thetinman.com/ but there might be even cheaper "faux" options. I saw this at a cafe near my home recently, and I thought it looked great--it completely distracted me from the fact that it was a dropped ceiling.

As for my challenge (http://madmaison.com), I live in my grandmother's old house. We're changing a lot, but money is a constraint. She installed a 1/2 bath on the main level a few years before she passed away, and put in a faux-marble beige sink and a beige toilet. They work fine, but they're awful.

I would love to get an eReader, but I'm waiting for one that can read multiple formats. I won't get a kindle b/c it won't allow loading of library eBooks.