I'm feeling really happy with myself at the moment. It's almost ten o'clock at night, and I have just finished a DIY project that has been (1)hanging over me for close to a year. It really wasn't anything very difficult or complicated, just time consuming. The task was simply to hook up a bathroom sink. "Not a big deal," some of you might say. And that is correct; it's not really a big deal at all. Now, I already have a bathroom sink, and that was the problem. The pressure was off. However, I have two bathrooms, and the second one wasn't finished. When 2024 ended and we entered into 2025, then the guilt hit me. I have been in my condo for a year and I've been too lazy to finish the second bathroom. So, I thought I would start this new year with a better attitude, and do the annoying, fiddly job of securing the sink to the wall and hooking it up. I'm hoping that my proactivity will set the tone for this year. Because the condominium where I live was totally renovated, I have lots of tools, pipes, wires, and other useful things left over. I have still a huge bag of plumbing equipment. I suppose it is inevitable that after a big renovation, there will be lots of extra, unused materials. But what I have is ridiculous. You could say (2)"Pipes galore!" Honestly, I have enough plumbing stuff to hook up about seven more sinks.

In the future, AI should be able to help us plan these kinds of expensive projects with great efficiency, so we don't overspend. If you are an extremely organized person, which I'm not, the leftovers probably wouldn't be an issue. It's good, I think, to have extra wood in the garage. It can be expensive nowadays, and it's great material for quickly (3)whipping up some shelves or a box. As an English learner, I'm sure there will be lots of vocabulary that is unfamiliar to you about building, renovating, and the materials used. For example, do you know what a 'nut' is? How about a 'washer'? And a bracket? Well, the three things I mentioned are made out of metal. The first two are classed as 'fasteners' - small metal items of 'hardware' that hold things together. A bracket can also be made of wood and usually has a 90 degree angle, looks like an 'L', and holds up a shelf. You know, I have learned a lot of new English vocabulary myself this year during the renovation! Obviously there is a name for everything! Well, now that I know more, I can certainly teach you a handful of the most commonly used tools and materials that we use for DIY in my future podcasts.

• 1. 'Hanging over me' indicates pressure or a burden of some kind. There are many other ways of saying this, such as: 'that is on my back/ on my shoulders', or 'that's weighing me down.'
• a. I have a huge essay for my English class that is hanging over me. I can't wait to get it finished!
• b. After her friend got fired, the fear of losing her job was hanging over her.
• 2. 'Pipes galore'. Any noun can go in front of 'galore' to indicate that there is a lot of something. It has a celebratory tone to it, but can be used sarcastically as well.
• a. She loves to paint. You enter her house and see paintings galore!
• b. Look at my mail; it's just bills galore!
• 3. 'To whip up' just like whipping eggs, you quickly create something, including influence.
• a. We were all starving after the race, so I whipped up a mushroom omelette in no time.
• b. At the protest rally, the speaker whipped up a lot of anger.

There are few things as relaxing as walking on a beach. I don't think many people would argue with that. And when I say "beach", it could mean either next to the ocean, a lake, or a river. I walked on a beach on a little island that juts out from the shore in one of the parks we have here in Wenatchee. The Riverfront park follows the Columbia river for eleven miles, then crosses a bridge and continues on the otherside for another eleven. So, it is basically a long park that was built right next to the river. As such, there are many beaches of different sizes, some accessible and sandy, others less accessible and muddy. A dog walkers favorite in this park is this long, thin peninsula of sand that runs parallel to the river. The breeds of dogs that love to swim and fetch sticks and balls from the river, have made this their own special spot.

I'm not sure what the name of the beach is, but I do know that a few special creatures enjoy what it has to offer. There are certain dogs that live for water. Even in the winter, their owners will take them to this peninsula, and the dogs jump with excitement and cannot wait until their masters throw the ball or the stick into the water. They run as fast as they can and jump into the water to fetch whatever was thrown. It's amazing and impressive. I wouldn't dream of swimming in the Columbia in this season. Believe it or not, once recently, when I was walking in the park, I saw a group of four ladies meet up on that same beach, remove their outer clothes, (they had swimming suits underneath), put their swimming caps on, and wade out into the water. They swam up river and didn't act horrified by the cold at all. Very strange creatures I think. It certainly is a special spot.

Being next to any body of water is, I think, very relaxing, even if it is in the middle of winter. Opposite the peninsula are a few little muddy bays where small, bent trees grow down to the water's edge. Ducks live here all year round. There must be enough shelter and food there to support them. They take advantage of the sunny days by warming themselves on the sand where there is no snow, until, that is, the dogs chase them away. Those enthusiastic swimming dogs love to chase their fellow swimmers, especially the ducks. The wings win though, don't they? Somehow the dogs don't remember that, and whenever they see ducks, they try again to chase them. There are thousands of paw prints on the sand of this little peninsula, and each is a little testament to a happy dog, doing what he loves to do most.