We had little time to unpack and unwind from our trip before our contractors were back in the house to start laying down our new floors. I was confined to the bathroom during the day, where I had my desktop PC set up to sort and edit our vacation photos. As the days passed, we realized that home ownership can really provide an endless supply of little projects. This also meant visiting Home Depot or Lowe’s at least one to two times a week. After drenching myself from replacing a bunch of broken sprinklers, I learned my lesson and left the landscape wiring to an electrician, who uncovered an underground short in the backyard that nearly ignited when we dug it from the mulching. Meanwhile, the prospect of starting work meant having to get a second car. With all the expenditures, I was glad that the Niello in Elk Grove had a pre-owned 328i with only 3000 miles for 10-grand below the MSRP. With the new ride, we drove out to Sac-town to try ramen at Akebono and rice porridge at Happy Corner Restaurant, which were both good but not mind-blowing. By Labor Day, the floors have been installed, the base boards painted, and our stair carpet selected. On Saturday, we went to Ikea for free crayfish and meatballs, but did not score any big ticket items. The rest of the long weekend was spent vacuuming, scrubbing, and wiping down the house. This allowed us to move our TV back into the family room so that we could start the new PS3 exclusive Beyond: Two Souls. The game explored paranormal activity and the world beyond in a cinematic style reminiscent of its predecessor, with less choice but more star power. Despite being exhausted from the weekend, I had trouble sleeping, as I prepare to start my new job.