One of the many reasons I haven't been online much recently is a new deck out the front of our house, an area which until now was just gravel and mud.

After building it myself over about 3-4 months of weekends I'm glad it's done - and I've got a new-found appreciation for my job and for the job of builders. It's nice to get away from the computer and work on something physical as it gives you instant feedback and a real sense of progress.

My next job is to landscape my (very steep) back yard to turn it into a usable space. I'm guessing by the time I'm done I'll have a great appreciation for landscape gardeners, too :)