Happy Birthday, Muffin. They do not stay a puppy for long. At 1 year old, she now thinks she is a fullback for the Penn State Nittany Lions. At least she runs like that. It is all in the attitude. So she is growing, changing, maturing. Just like our passions. What would we do without passion? Who would we be? As an old client of mine used to say, BOOOORING! (Yawn, Yawn!) We need a growing, maturing passion. And the seemingly small milestones we reach as we grow, reward us, helping to focus our passion and fuel even more exciting growth and enthusiasm, inspiring us to new heights. Did you ever hear someone refer to "reaching the next level?" Huh? What is that? The next level? I think I finally figured it out. The next level is that increased passion, recognizing and understanding our unique mission in life, allowing us to more deliberately narrow in our focus on that passion and mission. Wow, did I say that? It is way too practical to have come from that philosophy class I had back in my days at MU.
O, I almost forgot, milestones. Have you seen the Energy Star web site? http://www.energystar.gov/ Wheatland Custom Homes has been listed on that site as an approved Energy Star builder for nearly a year. A month ago I noticed that we were not listed as having any homes completed. Even more glaring, we were not listed as being a 100% Energy Star builder. Well, we are now! Success! The official listing now matches our stated mission, Every home an Energy Star Home. I know, that's a lot of enthusiasm for something that seems so small. Did you ever see what happens when Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scores a goal? Unabashed celebration. "And the crowd goes wild", unless of course it happens in a road game, then he celebrates only with his team mates, while the home team fans watch in stunned silence. And he celebrated over 100 times this season, not only for his own goals, but for the success of his mates.
We are starting a house in Enola. Green? Naturally. If we can. Can we provide value to the Owner by making it green? Being a Dutchman, I demand value. I do not mind making an investment of dollars in construction items that I can see a return on. But I do not see the value of spending dollars on paper work and processes to verify and certify the level of green that the house may be. Which scares me, because as of now, there are only a few approved NAHB Green verifiers listed on the website. http://www.nahbgreen.com/ So I need to fine a verifier that understands this concept. Which is to have a house that lives green, not one with a certificate. A certificate allows the builder and owner to brag, a house constructed properly gives back to the owner; money, comfort, less maintenance hassle.
Stay tuned. We have RFP's out to all the verifiers that are listed as approved in PA. Trust me, if I get back costs that are too high, after I blow my top, you will be the first to hear my rant.
No comments:
Post a Comment