Ah, white-knuckle driving in Kansas....

Like driving in snow? How about blowing snow? I'll see your blowing snow and raise you big, heavy flakes and evening rush hour traffic. I'll call.

Wheatlands was a beautiful, wonderful place to behold today, despite my long drive into Wheatlands, Kansas.* The building roof and exterior (what we call "core and shell" in da biz) were finished in the fall, so they're actually putting in drywall, carpet, and casework (you might call casework "cabinetry and countertops"), and they've even gotten some painting done. It's so refreshing to see a building getting built. It's also heartwarming and satisfying to me when I look around and realize that every wall, every door, every cabinet and countertop in this building...I drew it. And I look at every carpet, every plastic laminate on the counters and drawers, every painted wall, and I know that Susanna picked them out herself. She could see in her head what i couldn't see until I walked into the boardroom and saw the warm tans and greys contrasted to the multiflecked carpet...just gorgeous. Even my contractors, Stan* and Kenny*, think the finishes are beautiful. It's just so refreshing to see the drawings I bled over for eight months become real and useful. I love watching staff members walk through with Stan and me, watching their eyes light up, watching them taptaptaptap another's arm and gush over the wood nurse station and light olive accent walls. Just beautiful. It almost makes up for driving three and a half hours in snow.

Almost.

(Note: My hands are wearing out from asterisks. Unless I say otherwise, all names and certain identifying details have been changed.)