This Modern Life

The Scooter and the Nun

Last week, I bought a scooter from a nun. Really.

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Any site self-titled as "Redneck"-anything needs to have at least one excessive-transportation-related post per year, right?

Well, In addition to two (yes, two) pickups, a vintage VW and a hand-me down Volvo (oh, and the 40 year old motorcycle in pieces in the garage), we've added a neat 1983 Honda C70/Passport to the mix (with plans to eliminate some of the others, so not to worry).

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An odd link-up through CraigsList connected me to Sister-Barbara in Oakland and a few weeks later, I was scooting away. I've missed my old 1969 Honda Cub50 that I sold a few years ago, but it was a bit too underpowered for suburban city streets.

While not Mid-Century Modern, this is one seems to be in immaculate condition with very little rust and just a few scuffs. And really, the design of the Cub has changed very little since its debut in the late 50s, so it's not too anachronistic style-wise. The 83 model has a much more stable electrical system and a few updates that make modern-scooting a bit easier and safer.

It will make summer-time commuting to BART a bit more fun — and now the Rancho Del Diablo scooter club has reached a quorum (well, as soon as we can get Kyle's scooter running).

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Renovation // Transformation

Safety First

Today, we're having our windows "filmed" with 3M's Ultra400 from Climate Pro. Living in a house of glass, safety is — of course — a main concern, but the UV coming through the window isn't kind to furniture either. This film should help with both.

The Ultra400 is fairly clear. Initially, it looks a bit milky, but Dave, the installer, assures me that that will dissipate as the film dries and bonds to the window.

Drop Dan (Dan Nazaroff <dan@climatepro.com>) a note if you're looking for a good solve for safety and light/UV protection. It isn't cheap, per se, but the alternative — a broken window, an injured kid and/or fade furniture — isn't acceptable.

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Under foot

I had the chance to stop by a friend’s house this week. While the rest of the house is amazing (perhaps some more photos one day), the thing that immediately struck me was their cork floor. Cork is a great material in many ways: soft, antialergin, etc)… and in this pattern, it looses the “bulletin board” feel.

Floor Katie

 

Uncategorized

Danish Modern Desk

We have a vintage (mid-1960s) Danish Modern walnut desk for sale. (Sold to Dave… who amazingly has a matching end-table. It's such a pretty piece, though, I'll leave the photos up for posterity).

It's made by Lane of Altavista,Virginia and it is in excellent vintage condition. It's made of solid walnut, walnut veneer and oak — and it's quite well-made… even the back is fully-finished with the same solid wood and veneer as the sides.

Drop us a line if you'd like to have it in your home.

Here's a link to the CraigsList ad.

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