Posts filed under 'House'
Well here we are, less than two weeks away from the big move down to Indiana. So much has happened in the last few weeks, I’ve let all the possible blog topics just pile up. Much like my bills, I’ve ignored it until its past due. Nevertheless, there are no late fees with blogs. So let’s jump right into the recap.
Will turned 3. We hit the local Chucky Cheese (which I consistently referred to as Noble Roman’s and Showbiz Pizza) and Will got his much talked about “Shark Cake” (the sharks on the cake are “eating” Nemo gummy snacks). He seemed to enjoy the cake, but I think he was more excited to get the Lego Sharks off the cake.
Somewhere along the way we sold the house. I think we signed the papers in late April, and the house was off the market after about 2.5 months. Since we’re closing the day we’re moving back to Indiana, the timing couldn’t be better. As the closing date gets closer, I am realizing how much I am going to miss the house. Although, reality would have dictated a move (or a really large project) in a few years anyway. On the bright side, I am getting out before any major repairs are needed.
Angie is now an official med school graduate. It seems like ages ago when we first discussed her going to med school and she has accomplished her goal and then some. On the route of becoming a Dr, she became a catholic (not an easy task), married me (not an easy task), and had two boys (really not an easy task). She marvels me with all that she accomplishes and sometimes I wonder why she settled for a guy who procrastinates blog posts.
Speaking of me, I stood and watched Will put his hand down on the oven’s burner. We were making scrambled eggs and I pulled the pan to dump the eggs. He leaned in to see and minutes later his hand was a blistered mess. The Dr (not Angie) said he had 2nd degree burns all over his hand. The major spots were his finger tips, all down his ring finger, the heal of his hand, and his thumb. 
At this point the blisters are starting to come off which is causing him to slightly freak out. I will take that little bit of freaking out over listening to him in the back of the car clutching his hand saying “owie, owie, it hurts!” That was after the Dr visit when they wrapped his hand and he couldn’t ice it down anymore. The Motrin kicked in not long after that and he did pretty well the rest of the day.
Then we had Mother’s Day last weekend. Angie painted some pottery to commemorate our time in Minnesota. Since it was rather pricey stuff, Will painted a leaf and I watched Leo. The pottery has finished firing, so I will have to get some photos up of the finished plate and leaf.
That took me weeks to get out. Maybe things will change when I am unemployed in the coming weeks.*
*okay, I am not really unemployed, but I won’t be going into an office anymore.
May 18th, 2009
Well we made yet another trip to Indiana. Since about July of last year, we’ve been back 5 times and that is a lot when you consider I use to hate making the trip twice a year. It is going to be weird living there again and not having to show up two days early for family events and taking time off work to make the trip. I can’t imagine what I will do with those extra 4-10 days per year.
Well the trip home served a number of purposes. We had Leo baptised (photos pending). Angie and I looked for houses and, of course, we got together with the rest of the family for Easter.
The baptism went well. Poor Leo just couldn’t make it throught the whole thing though and fell asleep in Angie’s arms.
On the housing front, we saw a number of houses for sale and almost all of them were written off within ten seconds of walking in. It really bewilders me how my house hasn’t sold when I was looking at some real junkers for just slighlty cheaper than mine. Ultimately, and with no less than 2-3 days of debate, we decided to just rent a house. With our current house still on the market, it just didn’t seem like the right time to buy for us. Maybe in a year or two things will settle down and we can shop for more than an afternoon. Honestly, I am just looking forward to not having to work on a house and being to spend some time working on my various hobbies.
William spent the weekend playing with his cousins, eating candy, and generally crying about not being in his own bed. I slept with him the whole weekend mainly due to lack of beds and after the first night, he seemed to control his obsessive need to put his feet on my back. After that it wasn’t too bad. He did a couple of Easter egg hunts and with help from his older cousins managed to find a few.
Now perhaps I am just a tiny bit hungry, perhaps it is the spring weather, or perhaps I have just not been able to get back in the kitchen due to the need to keep it clean for showings, but I have a major hankering to do some cooking. Although I visit and poke around on various woodworking blogs and forums, its never really occurred to me to do the same for cooking. I found Pinch My Salt while googling around for biscuit flour and just her photos alone make me want to run to the kitchen and get started. Adding to that the labyrinth of information at the Good Eats Fan Page and I really just beginning to see the iceberg of information.
The issue I have always had with recipes on line, esp from places like Allrecipes.com, is who do you trust? I’d say about 50% of what I make only gets made once and I won’t go back to try it again (aside from biscuits and gravy). So if I am going to take the time to find and try a recipe, I don’t want it to suck. My sister Liz is usually a good barometer. She either has good sources or a better understanding of cooking basics (likely both) and when she makes something, its usually very good. Much like woodworking, I’d like to work with someone to learn some of the basic ins and outs. The cooking classes I have taken were always helpful, but since its been well over a year since I took one, retaining all the information that was packed in an hour class is difficult.
Now with the pending move, job change, extra kid, residency, and daily life, I am worried cooking is going to take a serious backseat. Already, I can say my consumption of McD-like food grossly outweights home cooked food. But I have fired up the grill a few times and added an excellent butter to my steaks, so I have to be happy with that. I’d just like to expand on that and get away for just eating mashed potatoes and bread with that meal (although my potatoes rock the block).
I think that is enough thinking aloud for now. Time to hit the grocery.
April 16th, 2009
We are officially within one week of Angie’s residency announcement. The anticipation is palpable. I should rename the title to Angie’s Countdown though, as the location has a bigger impact on her than me. I will just have to move, she will have to move and work at this new location. I have to admit, its kind of a crappy way to pick a job.
Nonetheless, the countdown is on. After the envelope is opened, we will finally have some clarity on what will happen for the remainder of 2009, and really the next four years for that matter. So all that is left is to sit back and enjoy easy/off time Angie has with us boys (Me, Will, Leo, and Hank).
Pandora
If you are like me and like to drown out the sound of work, I highly recommend using Pandora.com. From a song, artist, genre, etc, you can build a “station” and enjoy new and different music all day long. I find it a nice change of pace from itunes which I swear picks the same songs all the time when it is on random.
Kart It Up
At some point I picked up a copy of Mario Kart for the Wii, thus justify owning a Wii (at least to me). The Wii Ski and Fit are nice, but Karting is where’s at, like two turntables and a microphone. I love looking forward to the CPU completely screwing me on the last lap of any 150CC race. I played online once for about 5 minutes and I doubt I will ever have the time to master the game like some of those guys. They can probably play Guitar Hero on expert too, who has time for this stuff?
Leo, the Lionheart
Leo has taken to watching the bird that hangs above his bouncy seat. He usually hangs out with me while I take my morning shower and I frequently check on him. For the most part, he kicks his legs and watches the bird sway back and forth. I know, not exciting at all, but it keeps his attention. I just got the report from Angie that Leo’s head size is in the 95th percentile. Imagine that, a kid of mine having a big head…
It occured to me, just this week, that when Angie starts residency I will have to get ready in the morning with both boys and likely have to start dinner with both boys, then there are the weekends… Yes, I kind of freaked a little bit. Sure Leo will be older, but I have fed him like two bottles. Even when I did that I almost forgot to burp him. Hopefully, it is like riding a bike. Hopefully…
Visitors from the South
Two of my sisters came up last weekend with my brother-in-law. It was a little hectic with two open houses, a showing, and 3 different nap schedules, but I think we managed to squeeze 5-10 minutes of fun in there. We fired up the grill, for the first time in who knows how long, and went to the Children’s Museum on Sunday so the boys could wear themselves out. I got exactly zero photos from the weekend. I know, I am really on top of things. It was fun to see Will interact with a younger cousin. I think he enjoys following his older cousins around (a lot) but this was the first time he got to really play with Evan. They took baths together and Will helped Evan pick up his water cup a few times. I am wondering if Will has put two and two together to realize Leo will be that big soon enough.
The Housing Market
Yes, it is still for sale. Lots of showings, some good feedback, 4 open houses, 0 offers. *fingers drumming*
That’s about all there is to say.
March 12th, 2009
In honor of Scrubs, I am seriously considering titling all future posts “My something or other”. I actually spent probably 20 minutes thinking of the above. How do you convey all that has happened in the last month in a succinct, interesting title. My Month, was about as good as I could come up with. Unfortunately, I slightly predicting that I will probably only post once a month for the remainder of the year, which is sad given what type of year this will be. Obviously Leo was born, now our house is on the market, Angie will match for residency and likely move us out of state, I will change jobs at that point, and then of course, we’ll hope to get another house. Lots to do, the first two of which have kept me busy for the last month…
My Leo
This really should be written by Angie as I have been a rather negligent parent. Angie will have had about 9 weeks off, when it is all said and done, to spend with Leo and I can honestly count the diaper changes I have done on two hands. I don’t even need to count the baths I’ve given because there haven’t been any. Sad, I know. Nevertheless, Leo has been packing on the pounds, crying when needed and generally just getting use to the “activity” level. Will has taken Leo in such stride, I think he is only disappointed in Leo’s inability to play like Will expects. However, Will is always sharing his lesser toys with Leo and asking to hold him, usually for about five minutes or so, and he is always excited when Leo is awake.
My Headache
The house… I can sum it up best by saying the relief I felt yesterday after the open house was nothing short of therapeutic. In the last month we’ve touched up paint everywhere, installed carpet in the bedroom, moved several things out of the house, cleaned *everything*, finished the trim in the basement, finished the plumbing in the basement bathroom, etc etc. I am sure there are some minor things I forgot, but needless to say it is done. Is it perfect? No. Is it sellable? Hopefully, yes, but time will tell.
It is weird to say, but I have some regret leaving the house now. Now that everything is cleaned up and all kinds of loose ends have been tied up, I actually feel like I could finish some things, but I will never get to them. I guess I feel like I am leaving money on the table or walking away from unfinished business. I wanted a nice fence built, a patio for enjoying eating outside, a finished basement (completely), and some real crown moulding throughout the house. So on one hand, I am so happy to not have to think about what “has to be done” every time a weekend rolls around and I am looking forward to the next house and its possibilities, on the other hand, I am disappointed I didn’t get more done.
With the house officially on the market last Friday, the 13th, it is all about just sitting and waiting to see what happens (and keeping the place spotless). I think Angie and I are both excited for the next house (assuming we can get one) although our preferences differ like Republicans and Democrats these days.
February 16th, 2009
I just finished happily watching two episodes of Scrubs on ABC. If I could do more to promote Scrubs, I would, just so NBC realizes how idiotic it was for them to ditch the show. Especially when they fill the Thursday night slot with a crap show like Kath and Kim. Admittedly, I have only watched two minutes of Kath and Kim, but my first impressions are rarely, and I do mean rarely, wrong. So get on the ball and watch the show. It is returning to its season 1-3 style and there are only 16 episodes left.
Facebooked
So I am trying to tie niblet and Facebook together, if only to get my wife to read my posts. This will likely be the last post I make before baby #2 is born, unless I do a Time to Go Part 2 post. Nevertheless, I figured there are some people on Facebook that want to see some photos and hear some news, etc etc, so posting things once is much easier. Also, its not like I “use” Facebook. It is there mainly to suck up more of the time I have to spend at work.
The Jingle Bell Rock
Well we made it home for Christmas again. Should we move later this year, the last trip home for Christmas from MN will go down in infamy. Not for the crappy weather, or the slow driving, but for the trucker that blocked me 3/4 of a mile from my exit to Delphi and prompted my very pregnant wife to get out of the truck and give him a small piece of her mind. It was the icing on the cake of a 250 mile segment that took nearly 10 hours to complete.
(As a short aside, I had to clear my computer and reinstall everything this weekend and it cleared my itunes preferences which means I am getting song after song that I had previously unchecked. Why do I have so much music I don’t like?)
Will had a ball with his cousins and getting a ton of gifts. I am not sure he has even made it through all of them yet. He did manage to get sick again too. It was odd as he got sick 6-7 times in the morning, but before noon he was fine again. It is likely his Martin genes to thank for the quick recovery, but maybe he just had too much candy, too little sleep, and too much running around.
(Aside number 2, there is nothing more pitiful than watching a 2.5 year old get sick to his stomach. Probably one of the few times Will was serious. He’d get sick and then tell me he was finished. He was very tough through the short spell.)
It was great to see everyone again and see how much older all the nieces and nephews are getting.
My Wii Wii
We got a Wii for Christmas and Angie’s friend brought over some games for us to play since Wii Sports got old within a day. Angie has been rocking out on Guitar Hero and forced me to play the bass in the co-op band. We’re up to Medium, but Angie has broken from the band (The Martini’s) and gone solo (The Gigi’s). I can’t blame her, I was totally holding her back. She pick up a groupie though and when the upload finishes, I will show you how weird it is.
Although I tend to suck at GH, I am hoping I can get it together for Rock Band 2. I “played” the drum set in high school and I am hoping to redeem myself on some level in RB2.
I’ve also been playing Mario Kart on the Wii with the wheels. I miss the battle mode from the SNES version. It seems like the current version is more chaotic and I seem to drive around forever without ever seeing another kart. I’d go online and play, but I learned back in college there are guys that have all kinds of time to master the most mundane of things and they will kick your butt constantly. I’d rather beat up on the computer and maintain my dignity.
House for Sale
We decided to meet with a realtor to decide how to go about selling our house. Although we’re not entirely sure where Angie’s residency will be, it is slightly prudent since the majority of her choices were out of state. I am slightly fearful of the whole thing. I mean I did a lot to the house and I have a fear the realtor is going to say wtf did this? Of course, the economy being in the tank doesn’t help. So lots of anxiety on my part. It is possible we’ll list the house and everything will work out fine, but I have years of being both pessimistic and cynical, so I can’t really reach that happy thought in my mind.
I just hope we can look back and think, remember that little house we had up in St Paul? Angie insists she loves the house and for me its more like resentment. Projects I never finished like I wanted and other projects I never started. On the other hand, all of that vanishes with a new house. It is like moving to a new job. Sure you think you’ll start this one right and keep everything organized and all those bad habits you had in the past will go be the wayside because you have a fresh start, right? Perhaps not, but the fresh start is nice nonetheless.
January 6th, 2009
I unexpectedly learned it is much easier to convince Will to wear something if you tell him it is what Peter Parker wears. In both cases the truthfulness of the statement is debatable. I can’t presume to know what Peter Parker wore in all the cartoons, comics, and movies, so while I can’t recall a time he wore green shoes, I conversely can’t claim to know that he didn’t wear green shoes. It is a mouthful and a confusing thought, but one I am sure has not run through Will’s mind, yet. For my purpose, he agrees to wear said item because he now thinks it is cool and I have twice been able to get him to wear something that has caused Angie such frustration that she would throw fits at his fit throwing. In short, I have won the battle.
This isn’t to suggest I am winning the war. Bedtime has become a tedious task of give and take and multiple trips to Will’s room at night. He either needs a glass of water or needs some random toy for about two hours before he finally falls asleep. He has a whole giggly routine that he goes through with Angie, but he knows my temperament is not one that entertains such things*.
*I have to apologize at this point for my weird grammar. I finished a CS Lewis book a week or two ago and I don’t think his style has worn off me yet.
At any rate, he is stuck with me for a few more days until Angie returns from interviewing in Michigan. I can only hope that he can put up with me for a little bit longer. I am pretty easy to manage unless I am hungry or tired.
Match.com
Don’t go to match.com. I don’t know what it is, but I know I’ve heard of it and that’s all it really takes to for me to come up with subtitles, fleeting thoughts. Match Day is the day all Med School students find out what residency program they are going working with for the next 2-4 years. It is a big day for us, because we are hoping to be moving some place closer to home. I need to find some kind of countdown widget for wordpress so I can watch the days click by. For me it is really the deadline to get stuff done as we’re probably going to have to our house on the market as soon as possible. I am not looking forward to finding out how cheap my house has become, but there are always bitter pills to swallow and you just hope they won’t have unforeseen consequences.
Shark Attack
If you caught any of the photos, you might have noticed Will was a shark for Halloween. He scored some good candy and never missed a “Thank You.” Probably even more impressive was that he was willing to take off the shark and go to bed somewhat on time that night.
Angie carved three pumpkins which got a lot of compliments and we hung up some lights for the occasion. With Will really understanding what candy is, it made for a pretty fun night. I am just glad I didn’t have to hand out candy. I have no idea how to react when a kid comes up with a pillowcase and a obviously made no attempt to dress up as anything. I can only assume they are bored, lazy, or the need for candy so overwhelms them, they forget to put their costume on.
Work-a-holic
I doubt anyone has ever mistook me for a work-a-holic, but I have gotten a number of things done around the house. Things I have been planning to do for months are just getting knocked out in a matter of hours. Again, it makes me wonder why I just didn’t do it in the past, but apparently I had something more important to do.
In the past few weekends I have finished repairing the basement door (no more stuck, turning inside out door!), installing a little cabinet in the stairs for a small pantry (more shelf space in the kitchen cabinets!), fixed the microwave light cover, and replaced the front door knobs (I know they look goofy, but it is better than the one with the hole in it). I’ve also started putting the final coat of mud on the basement closet and I am not even counting the leaf raking, bush trimming, mowing, and gutter cleaning I have done. (This whole sub-topic is just to remind my wife that I do manage a few things around the house, they just rarely involve dishes, clothes, or dirty diapers.)
Travels
We’re going to CO this weekend to visit my sister and then down to IN for Thanksgiving. I think the last time I was in CO was before I moved to MN and the last time we were home for Thanksgiving was before Will was born. I am kind of happy to not have to cook a big meal this year. The reason for both trips is because they pair up with interviews Angie will be doing, so Will and I are mostly along for the ride. I am sure, many photos will be posted.
November 10th, 2008
Happy Anniversary
Yesterday was Angie and I’s 4th wedding anniversary. Oddly enough, we couldn’t exactly recall what we had done in years past (and even more oddly I never mentioned it in the blog). Aside from remembering she was pregnant on the first anniversary, so we didn’t have steak and wine, and going to an Apple Orchid each year, I guess we never did anything that exciting. This year we decided to branch out a bit. Our daycare provider offered to let Will stay late, so Angie and I went out to nice early dinner. I had seen the Heartland Restaurant voted as the best Restaurant in St Paul a few times in our local City Pages, so I thought we’d give it a shot. We were the first patrons to arrive and the only ones for some time (I had real need to explain that we had a son waiting on us and that’s why we were eating so early), but the staff didn’t seem to mind. They played with the lights that consistently flickered throughout dinner and also offered us an amuse bouche.
The dinner was very good and somewhat interesting. Mine started with an interesting wild boar kidney concoction, then a very good veal roast, followed by a raspberry desert that was just awesome. In fact, if the whole meal was terrible, the desert would have more than made up for it. Angie started with a very interesting looking salad, followed by a risotto, and finished up with a cheesecake desert. Again the desert was excellent. I think we both enjoyed the break from over the top, see how much you can fry meals that you get from the chain restaurants and it was nice to spend a little dough and not have a huge steak (not that I mind a nice steak house). All the food is sourced locally and the menu changes daily, weekly, as the seasons dictate etc. So going back and getting the same thing twice is probably unlikely. There are still a boat load places we’d like to try, so I don’t know if we’ll get back there or not, but it did leave us with a good impression.
Bow Before Me
For I am employer…
It occurred to me the other day as I was pressing my badge to the scanner to exit 3M that all the scanners are situated about hip height throughout the complex. Considering it is corporate policy to wear your badge higher than hip height, I found it odd the scanners are placed so low. You could argue they are placed there for handicap people, but given the amount of stairs before or after some of the scanners, I doubt anyone in a wheel chair will be using those doors. I doubt if it is intentional, but I certainly get the feeling I am suppose to bow or genuflect before entering or exiting the corporation. I would only worry if they started mounting the corporate logo after all the doors.
Market Crash
Yep the markets are in the tank. I don’t find it exactly funny that my 401k is down something like 30% for the year, but I do find it funny how all the news sites come up with photos of stressed investors. For all we know that guy is running on 2 hours of sleep and is making a boat load of money shorting the Dow. Perhaps his wife just called him for the 5th time to remind him to bring home some milk. Or perhaps his ear piece just zapped him again. The possibilities are endless.
White Monolith
You may or may not have been paying attention, but in the last part of the summer I finished siding the garage. I am happy that another one of my biggest eyesores is complete. Well, it is mostly complete. I have to finish installing the gutter on the west side and maybe touch up some paint here and there, but mostly it is done. It is big and white, but I think it looks a million times better than the rotted blue junk that was on it before. I am also excited to note that the west side no longer leaks water into the garage floor either. I put some flashing on that side to protect the sheeting and what not and it appears to be doing a decent job of it.
I’ve also started arrange/cleaning up the inside to make room for Angie’s car. Finally having all the OSB sheets out, the siding out and all the trim boards out makes it much easier to move things around. Unfortunately for me, I have gained a few more machines here and there and what space I have is being soaked up rather quickly.
Wrap Up
I think that is about it. We’ve really only got a few more months in this house, so Angie and I are really picking and choosing what we are going to start/do next. There are lots of little things I would like to do throughout the house, but I will have to leave that for someone else to decide. Also with another little boy on the way, we really have to get some things wrapped up before hand.
October 10th, 2008
I like to ask myself rhetorical questions that I assume other people think when they come to the site and haven’t seen an update in almost a month. What a month is was too. With so much going on and so many little things happened it was hard to find anytime that I wasn’t exhausted or preoccupied with something else. I have a feeling my fingers will be pretty tired of typing after all of this is over.
As I mentioned earlier, Angie went to Indiana for the entire month of August. It was just like any other rotation she has done for over the last year, only this time it was in Indiana. Since residency is just around the corner (next year) and the only program in Indiana she is interested in only takes 4-5 residents, she thought it prudent to do a rotation there so they could meet her and she could meet them. It sounds more complicated than it is, so if you think about it like an internship then it makes a lot more sense. At any rate, the initial indications, which really mean nothing, were very positive. It will really come down to interviews and match day (when the hospitals rank their preferred students and the students rank the hospitals they want to work for and a computer goes through the mess and assigns everyone). Match day happens in March, so there is a bit of time before anything is final.
So Angie was there for two weeks before Will and I came down. We went to the Como Zoo twice and ate some Zooper Food. Will got a kick out of saying, “I want Zooper Food,” each time we went. We finally saw the seal show they put on there and for being free, it was pretty good. During the two weeks, I also worked on a mantel surround for my parent’s fireplace. This fireplace has been sitting bare for years and my mom asked me to make something way back in May. I “thought” I would work on it here and there and I “thought” I would have plenty of time to mess with it, but, of course, I hit a few road blocks. The first was a tool problem. I bought a different planer to make the rough wood I had smooth and the correct thickness and like I dink, I sold my old one immediately. It took me about a week to get the new one tuned just right so I could hack down the wood and get some usable boards. Then the first weekend that Angie was gone, the squeaking noise I had been hearing in the truck developed into a full blown water pump failure.
While a failed water pump isn’t a huge deal, the lack of time to work on it and the inability to drive anywhere suddenly made it a big problem. I had to walk Will about 10 blocks to go to the parts store and of course they didn’t have everything that I needed. That was on a Sunday and since the truck wouldn’t be fixed, I had to come up with some kind of transportation for Monday. I ended up and rode Will to daycare and rode on into work. Luckily, a friend of mine took me to the dealer to get the last part I needed and then drove me home (since I had been up late the night prior and I felt I would be up late again, I was worried that riding home would just completely wipe me out and I would fall asleep working on the truck). At any rate, i had the new water pump on the truck before 10 pm that night and everything seemed to be just fine. Given that I was going to be driving the truck more than 1000 miles in the coming weeks, I was actually happy it happened when it did. It would have been nice to have Angie’s car around, but we made due and now I know with a little plastic removed from the front end of the truck, I can literally climb inside the engine compartment.
So it was back to the mantel for a few nights and then suddenly it was time to think about packing and getting on the road. I loaded up the laptop with movies and drive was uneventful. We stopped at my parents house before heading down to Indy to unload some tools and the mantel (which was in parts) and then we headed down to Indy. The time spent in Indiana was divided up between visiting some local attractions, like the zoo and the Children’s museum, visiting family, and watching SpongeBob SquarePants. Other than Will pulling a table on top of him and cutting his eye, the week went pretty smooth. We drove back and waited out the rest of the work week for Angie to arrive last Saturday (which she did and even came with a fresh speeding ticket).
We survived the month and things are getting back to normal. Angie doesn’t have any more over night rotations and other than upcoming interviews around the country, everything should be kind of normal. I got back to some house projects and finally got some siding on my garage. I am sure most of the neighborhood was rejoicing. Its been less than a year since I started renovating the whole outside of the garage, so that is rather fast for me. When its all said and done, the only thing that will be “old” on that garage will be the concrete slab it sits on and the 2×4′s that hold it up. Everything else, the sheeting, the siding, the overhead door, the opener, the service door, the roof, the wiring, the lights, etc, was all either replaced or added. I only wish we were planning on staying in the house longer so I can justify finishing the inside and insulating it.
So while I was busy toiling away in 90 degree heat on my shop, Angie decided it was time for a new bed for us. I suppose the bed that was given to me by a friend about 8-9 years ago had kind of worn out (although there was a year in college I didn’t sleep on it). I insisted, and still do, that the box spings just needed to be replaced, reinforced, or removed and it would be just fine, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. I should be happy she relented on wanting a new/different car. At any rate, Angie bought a queen size set, so our current bed frame is too small. Having wanted to make a bed for some time, I suppose now is my opportunity.
That petty much puts me up-to-date and tonight we have the ultrasound to find out the gender of the baby in Angie’s belly. I did mention she was pregnant, right?
September 2nd, 2008
I finished reading the original Jason Bourne book, The Bourne Identity, a few weeks ago and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I thoroughly enjoyed the movies and knew the plot of the movies was vastly different than the books. The basic idea is the same and the Bourne character has a little more depth in the book, but to me it was like getting to see another Bourne movie. Maybe that is why people buy all of those star wars books. At any rate, I just had to watch all the movies again and after watching them off and on over a weekend, I have to say the line that starts as the title of this entry is probably my favorite, “… there is no measure to how fast and how hard I will bring this fight to your doorstep.” Tell me there is a better line in any movie with decent action (outside of Rocky I-V & Rocky Balboa but those are all considered dramas) and I will call you a liar.
At any rate, I finished another book recently too, The Art of Racing in the Rain. I saw it at Starbucks when I was buying something for Angie and because I am an elitist, yuppy snob, I had to buy the book so I could discuss it over iced mocha in large leather chairs while discussing other topics I have no experience with like politics, the latest fad documentary, or the new music of some crappy garage band. Okay, that was a little over the top. I know a lot about politics, but that is neither here nor there.
The book though was an enjoyable read. You know where the book is going from the start. In fact, the beginning is basically the ending, but there are a few bumps along the road which make you appreciate the ending that much more. It is told through the mind of a man-want-to-be dog and he has some interesting insights. One I took particular interest in was the fact that most, if not all of us, are extremely bad listeners. We typically grab on to one point and divert the story to something related to us basically so we could just have something to say. I have done it, I have felt the need to do it, and now I am consciously aware of how often it happens. Interesting to say the least.
Panic Attack
This past weekend we took Will to the Mall of America to return some purchased goods and ride around on rides. It turns out that if your kid is too short or young, the parent gets to ride for free. Since Angie is pregnant, they don’t allow her to ride anything, so I had to squeeze my growing butt into the little plastic death contraptions and ride around with Will. All the rides were fine except the most innocent of all rides, the Ferris Wheel. They don’t provide any harness or restraint inside the Wheel’s plastic bucket, so a kid like Will is free to act as much like a monkey as he can. He actually did just fine until they stopped us at the top of the wheel (which basically puts you at roof height at the MOA). It wasn’t a jolting stop, but rather you got the sensation you weren’t moving at all. Its a little miss leading though because the plastic bucket you are in continues to rock back and forth.
At this point, Will decides he needs to stand up and look around. I looked at the crappy little doors on the side of the bucket and figured one kick from Will and he would be able to jump from heights I’d rather not put a number to, all the while we continue to rock back and forth.
I grab onto the main pipe holding us to the actual wheel, but that obviously didn’t make any difference and I am twisting the crap out of Will’s shirt to make sure I have a hold of him as we continue to rock back and forth.
I can clearly see the floor of the MOA and all the tiny people walking around and wonder how in the hell they would help us if something actually went wrong. Will is climbing up and around the seats at this point, why can’t he just sit still? Why the hell are we still sitting here? I am aware that I am sweating, the stupid bucket won’t stop rocking!
Finally the damn wheel moves again and we get off. Angie has a good laugh at me and Will is completely unaware of the danger we just overcame. I was pretty much fried after that and even thinking about it now gives me a sinking feeling in my stomach.
Home Alone
Well tomorrow Angie leaves for Indiana for the month of August. It is a bit of a precursor for possible residency there (assuming all goes well), so it could very well be worth the time and effort. She will, however, have to go two weeks without seeing Will. On the flip side, I have to spend two weeks along with Will. Actually it will be more than that, but Will and I are planning to go to Indiana for about 10 days. All of which Angie will likely have to work, but at least we’ll see each other. So if you fall into the BFF category with my wife, please keep her busy when we’re not there.
More to Come
I am hoping to post some photos of a finished garage soon, we’ll see.
July 30th, 2008
Let’s take a moment to reflect on recent events…
Gas
Yep, gas hit basically $4/gallon recently, and I damn near freaked. Last week, I rode my bike to work twice, which actually does help offset my driving substantially. Angie was picking up Will from daycare, so I was only responsible for dropping him off. It worked out well for the time being even on Friday when I hit some crazy headwinds coming home and probably only averaged 10-12 mph. Big cars and trucks would zoom past me and the extra wind being forced around their vehicle would almost bring me to a stop.
Angie moved on to a new rotation where she basically works from sunup to sundown, so I can’t rely on her to pick up Will for the next few weeks, but in July I might be able to ride in 2-3 times per week. I am becoming more and more curious of how fast I can go now without a 10 pound pack, a 20 pound trailer, and a 30 pound kid attached to my rear wheel.
Dad’s Day
Even though I spent a lot of time working on the garage last Sunday, Angie convinced me to go to an indoor water park with Will. It turned out to be a lot of fun mainly because it wasn’t too busy, but also because the little water park is completely geared towards kids. I don’t think one section of the pool was deeper than 4′. For Will’s age, there was a nice area that was basically ramp that went into the pool. He could walk in as far as he liked and splash around. He became bolder as he got use to the water and eventually started jumping around and riding down the shipwreck slide.
I didn’t get my dad anything, or at least that thought ran through my head last Saturday. Then I remembered all the tools in my garage that are either gone and/or are going to go to him. He has or will have from me, a Delta Double Duty Lathe, a Delta lunchbox planer, an Akins handsaw, a very nice cabinet saw, and probably a small stash of wood and maybe my metal lathe. I am also going to make a surround for his fireplace, so I am saving him a little work too.
Garage
I put a new service entry door on the garage, so one of the last “hard” parts is finished. I just need to find time to tear off the rest of the siding and get the stupid thing sided. With two weekends left in the month, I am shooting to have it finished by the end of June.
Number 2
I guess sometime around Jan 20th, Will is going to have a brother or a sister. So there it is, my drop dead date for all house projects. I think once Angie starts showing, Will will really get into it. He already calls the ultrasound photo a “lion”. I am hoping for just hoping for a healthy kid, but I won’t complain if this one loves to sleep.
June 19th, 2008
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