Mike’s House of Fun: Reinventing Home and Life

After teaching Middle School Science for 35 years, being a full-time tennis instructor and tournament player, it was time to retire. Let’s go find a warmer climate and leave the snowy Buffalo weather behind.

In 2002 we started looking for a tropical city. Naples became the best choice, but a 3^rd floor condo was not the best for us. Building a home became the perfect plan. Shadowwood became available and we began to build. We were the 2^nd house built on our street. Winter in Florida, summer in Buffalo was a great plan for many years. 

I loved having a basement. A perfect place for my trains, a ping pong table, a home theater, a wine cellar and a music room. Everything was perfect. Then tragedy struck! I lost my wife to cancer, lost a twin son to epilepsy and my dog had a heart attack. My life was turned upside down. What was next. I decided to sell the house in Buffalo and become a full-time resident. The house suddenly became mine to do whatever I wanted. I started painting the bedroom, getting rid of rugs, adding wooden floors. I repainted the kitchen from fortune chooku to bright white. Craigs list provided a chandelier and a loveseat for the front entrance way. Tissue wallpaper and improved molding was next.

The bonus room became my music studio. Music items and guitars decorated the walls. Piano stairs led to the sports memorabilia room which connected to the marvel comic book room. The hallway was decorated with golf score cards from courses that I played along with hats from the US opens. Finally, the guest room became my Lionel train room with my 60-year-old collectibles. Last was the laundry room which became the corvette room. Two years in the making, it became Mike’s house of fun. If you see a red lexus, or a corvette. Or a Polaris sling shot in the driveway, stop in for a visit. We can listen to Beatles music or do a sing along with Mike.