the Vermont or Vichyssoise

I'm going to make an Italian version of Vichyssoise (a soup typically eaten chilled). I have to finish work first. I'm currently working on a concept house for Cate. She's calling it the "Vermont house". Doesn't that sound glamorous? I've drawn it based off a photo she took. I have no idea where the original house is (possibly Vermont) but it could be built anywhere. Tailored just for you.

I had lunch with a fellow HP Commissioner yesterday. We discussed the originality of house plans and when does it become a knock-off/rip-off?? Then he showed me this App he has on his iPhone. You can buy house plans for $6.99. What? In a world where architects are trying to design the next "Not So Big House", anyone can go online and get an entire set of drawings for less than $10. How is that possible? Who drew them? Do you trust them? You can't change them. Thus creates the cookie cutter neighborhoods.

Dave and I also discussed the extinction (we both crossed our fingers) of the McMansion. Can we please say good riddance to the house that may have caused our housing crisis? For centuries we lived without indoor plumbing, then for barely half a century everyone in the house shared one, sometimes two bathrooms (if they were lucky). Now we want guest wings, a bathroom for each bedroom (or a Jack and Jill bathroom), finished basements, three-car garages and tons and tons of vaulted ceilings. Do you know how many and how quickly cobwebs will fill those spaces? While the cleaning portion can be taken care of by Bill's company why do we need all that space? If you've never heard or read about the Not So Big house, check out the link.

I'm going to make some soup.