Our 14th trip to Minneapolis: This was a floating meeting, starting at 9 and running until 2, variously with Marc, Sean and Caleb. We devote much discussion to the ‘jamb boxes’—the foot-wide spaces between wall and window, thanks to the beefed up exterior insulation. The Andersen window order has to be finalized by October; I have come to appreciate the long lead time. Endless consultation needed.

I report what little progress Linda and I have made in deciding finishes: we are agreed now on solid (as opposed to oriented-strand) bamboo flooring in the family room, sunroom and kitchen. (I have hesitations about the latter—what if we ruin it?) We also need to decide upon porch flooring. “Nylo” is not available; Sean recommends fir, but I am leery of the repainting that will be required.

Best of all, we arrived at a meeting of the minds regarding the drainage system, my special passion. There will be two sets of ‘FloWells” (front and back) to capture the hundreds of gallons that flood off the roof in major downpours. The FloWells—plastic buckets two feet high and two feet wide—will hold the precipitation until it seeps into the ground. As for runoff from the garage, I suggest that we perch a skinny vertical tank under the eaves—out of sight!—and use that to feed our drip irrigation system. We abandon the idea of a rain garden. I can’t see the value in one, given our small plot, the absence of major pollutant flows needing to be cleansed, and the likelihood that we’d have to irrigate the plantings if the weather turned dry.

Marc takes me aside at the end of the meeting to alert me to the fact that to keep within the 12% fee we had targeted, he would have to devote at most 4 hours per week from here on out. I take a deep breath and urge him not to hold back. We do need his continuing involvement, due to his broad knowledge of the technologies, design, and his experience.

Linda and I close out the day with more shopping—found intriguing porcelain tile at Carpet One, and a number of promising fixtures at Southern Electric next door.