The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated!

I'm here! I'm back! I won't leave again! I do apologize for abandoning this little project for a bit. I told you on the phone, and I meant it, that it's really important to me. It's just been a crazy 30 days with two new employees, a new boss and three major projects--not to mention some emotional silliness. I've been coming home every night just too wiped to do anything and feeling rather anti-people in general. Certainly no excuse but at least some explanation.

The light at the end of the tunnel appears. Projects are mostly finished and new people mostly broken in so things are better. I'm ready to get back to the old schedule of pondering new house projects and chatting with you about them. I have one for you though it may require a phone conversation. The stair railings in our house are wooden as far as I know but are stained and varnished with that generic sorta oak and the high gloss finish you always see in builder grade houses. It's starting to look fairly beat up and ratty and I'm wondering about refinishing it. Any thoughts about how well that type of pine stuff strips off? Am I explaining it well enough for you to tell or do you need pictures? You have any experience doing something like this? It almost seems it'd be like doing baseboards though a baseboard I'd simply replace. I have no idea how hard it is to replace railings with their posts. Thoughts?

Outside of that, life is looking pretty good. It's gotten rather hottish again here with Indian summer after a cool and rainy weekend. Tomorrow night I'm going to finish up some more garden tasks including the perennial divisions I need to do. Funny you mention asters as I picked some up today at lunch to plant. You read your Garden's Gate didn't you? I want to get some more but the selection was limited at the old Home Depot. I think I'll check Lowe's on the way home.

Thanks for the update on Kent. Are you considering going out there at all? If you want to/need to, let me know and I can make some arrangements to go with you. I'm sure sorry they're having to go through all this. You think I should call Amy? I don't have her number and it's not like we're close but you always feel like you should do something.

Oh! Here's something for you! It will make you cringe to watch it but it's amazing. Watch the pedestrian crossing. He survives apparently because the car rolls over him exactly where it got dented. It will certainly make you think three times about crossing against a red light!!