House plans and zombies

Nothing new to report, really.  The week has been filled with mundane activities.  Working.  Housework.  Designing houses.  Making pumpkin bread.  Binge-watching The Walking Dead.  Harassing the family.  Sleeping.

Designing houses?  Yes indeed.  Ever since I was a child I've enjoyed drawing floor plans for houses.  I started by drawing the houses in the neighborhood where I grew up in White Bear Lake.  Using graph paper, ruler and a sharp pencil I mapped out the plans for the houses I had visited.  The Peterson's, the Metry's, the Moline's, everyone.

Beamus Bag Co.  My grandfather is last on the right.

My grandfather (the one whose dog tags I found) worked as a draftsman.  He got a job in the 1930s with the Beamus Bag Company in Minneapolis.  I think I might get my architectural leanings from him.

In the 1990s I bought my first home designer CD from Broderbund.  I used it endlessly.  A few years ago Hubby bought me the updated Home Designer software.  I've spent many hours laying out the perfect building for the perfect situation.  A simple country home for a family of four?  Easy peasy.  A studio loft apartment for a young urbanite?  No problem.  Multi-level condominiums with a bookstore and coffee shop?  In a snap.

A simple small house

It's one of the ways I unwind.  Some people meditate, some people golf, some people drink.  I design buildings.

My favorite designs are the bizarre ones.  Putting houses in restored windmills, underground bunkers, pyramids and submarines.  My current project is a multi-family unit that can survive a zombie apocalypse.  Reinforced fencing, gun turrets, gardens, long term food storage, etc.  Coincidentally, did I mention I've been watching The Walking Dead?

I've watched six of the ten seasons of the post-apocalyptic zombie TV series.  However, I've decided to stop.  It's not because of the violence and gore and horror -- I've gotten used to that.  Believe it or not, it's become monotonous.  The episodes have the same plot.  The good guys (?) find a new place to rest.  They meet a few decent people, but a lot of bad people.  Bad people do bad things, good guys die but then fight back. Good guys move on to next spot.  Rinse and repeat.   Same old same old.  

In the early seasons the producers put some emphasis on hope.  But then they realized they couldn't keep making the show (and making money) if things actually got better.  So, the whole 'hope' thing went away.  Which may be true for a real zombie apocalypse, but that's not something I want to watch.  I'd rather design houses.

So yeah, nothing really exciting to report.  Not that making soup or planting garlic is exciting.  But it is a break from the same old ordinary life.  Fortunately, a same old zombie-free ordinary life.