Self-description 2006:
I am the owner of a currently-uninsulated, broken-roofed, circa-1939 cottage in a rural lake community in Orange County, NY. From the outside, the cottage looks worn-down, but the inside has beautiful pecky cypress paneling and a fieldstone fireplace with a Jøtul insert. I didn't know this when I bought the cottage, but it was sitting directly on top of an underground river in the middle of a mountain swamp. I spent nearly two years digging drainage trenches, redirecting water away from the cottage, installing new footing drains, excavating clay-logged soil, removing boulders, and planting water-loving conifers like Metasequoia. (I did 90% of this work with my own two hands.) I'm happy to be living in swampland, as long as the water stays contained in channels and trenches. The property has rich, organic soil that is a gardener's dream. Now that the water follows my plan and the property is starting to dry up, I've started doing research on how to insulate and weatherize houses properly, which is why you may see my username on edits to articles related to these topics, such as insulation, weatherization, thermal mass, vapor barrier, and mold. I don't make much money, so I have plenty of time to do research while I'm saving up for each home improvement project. I hope you enjoy my contributions. 02:27, 8 February 2006 (UTC)
Updated self-description 2013:
I'm also interested in science (especially genetics), genealogy, and trees and shrubs. Occasionally, if I see something inaccurate, or if I can't contain my excitement, I will insert an additional morsel of detail in an article on one of these topics. 20:55, 6 April 2013