Life in Nebraska

Fall projects in January

2012-01-08T17:39:00.003-06:00

We've had record high temps for the last month. It's been above freezing every day for the last month. We're running 40 degrees warmer than January 2010. It's too hard to sit inside on days like these; the to-do list becons...

We've been looking for a Danish-design media storage cabinet to go under the big screen in the basement. All that JP has found are several thousand dollars. Ikea has exactly what we're looking for for $400, which is great, but it ships in 14 boxes and will cost an additional $350 to ship. That won't do. The nearest Ikea is up in the twin cities, seven hours away.

We hit The Home Depot last nite and purchased a sheet of 3/4" plywood (the nice sanded birch stuff), two 1/4-sheet pieces of 1/4" pretty plywood, and two 1/4-sheet pieces of 1/8" hardboard. I spent all day in the garage (with the door open!!) and cut, routed, trimmed, drilled, sawed, glued, etc. all day. We now have our Danish-design media cabinet. When the weather warms up enough to paint, we'll finish it up. Until then, we now have a place to stash all the xbox games in the basement.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T17:28:00.000-06:00

We had the full crew here for Christmas this year, as well as an absolutely gorgeous day outside. Two years ago, we had a blizzard; today it was sunny and 50 degrees. My Hawaiian Tropic was calling out for me...

Christmas Tree

2011-12-04T10:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the ultimate Christmas Tree setup day. It snowed all day, and it was Saturday. CP really helped out this year and put 90% of the ornaments on the tree. GP decorated the kids' tree in the kitchen.

As usual, the dog slept, and the cat helped.

Snow!

2011-12-04T10:19:00.000-06:00

I know I'll be cursing the stuff within a month, but the first snowfall of the year is always exciting. It snowed all day on and off. Big flakes, small flakes, wet flakes, and slushy flakes. We ended up getting about four inches. It's supposed to remain below freezing for the next week, so it will be sticking around for a while.

The dog likes to run around in it, but the cat prefers to stay inside. She had fun watching the giant flakes swirl around on the deck.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-04T10:14:00.000-06:00

On the way back to IL, JP texted her bff, MN, that we were just passing thru Des Moines. MN texted back that she was an hour east of us, heading west. Half an hour later, we stopped for gas in Colfax, and 2 minutes after that, the N's pulled in, too! We couldn't have planned it any better.

Our first nite at Nana's house, we ordered "the Titanic" pizza. The pizza shop's sizes are 14", 16", and then 24". We knew a 16" would cut it for the five of us, so we figured we'd try the 24". GP's eyes popped out when he saw the box. Never in his life had he seen such a pizza.

For Black Friday, we hit the shops of Galena and had a nice lunch at one of the pubs. GP got a Brown Cow, and CP got a Black Cow.

CP's Birthday

2011-12-04T10:08:00.000-06:00

CP had all his buddies over for his B-Day party.

Packer's Game

2011-12-04T10:06:00.000-06:00

I was able to make it to the Packers vs. Vikings game this year. What a blast! It doesn't get any better than tailgating at Lambeau.

CP's Friend

2011-12-04T10:02:00.000-06:00

CP finally got to meet Justin Beeber at the mall. He was so excited!

Fall Color

2011-12-04T10:01:00.000-06:00

This year we actually had some fall color on our tiny trees. The maples turned bright orange instead of the dull brown that everything else fades to. We had to run the mower to pick up the leaves! It's starting to look like a real yard, finally.

GIE - Expo

2011-12-04T09:58:00.000-06:00

This year I went to the Green Industries Expo in Lousiville. Every lawnmower manufacturer on the planet had their products on display, along with every other type of turf management equipment. It was 40° and rainy outside, so some of the areas got a bit muddy over the two days.

Highlight of the trip was seeing Charlie Daniels perform downtown for his 75th birthday.

TMCO Open House

2011-12-04T09:53:00.000-06:00

TMCO, a Lincoln fab shop, hosts an open house each October. Of course, the big draw is a beer-pouring robot, but there are also lots of other cool things to see there. This year they showed off their waterjet cutter cutting thru 2"-thick Aluminum.

This portrait was made on their turret punch. Each dot is a different sized hole in a sheet of aluminum that was painted black.

Models

2011-12-04T09:49:00.000-06:00

Both boys received model planes for their birthdays. Each had a fun time putting them together.

Last Cub Scout Rocket Launch

2011-10-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our last cub scout rocket launch. Of all the activities we've done with scouts, this has been my favorite.

CP put together his own "der Red Max" this year and it looks great. He is uber proud of it, and he was able to get a couple great flights with sucessful recoveries. It was fun to see CP fired up and having fun. There was a guy with a hi-power version that flew on three 29 mm H-engines. Somehow he was able to get at least two of them lit.

Two years ago we bought a hi-power kit and built it up. Fiberglass fins, tubular webbing shock cord, plastic body tube, etc. It's pretty beefy. Last year I sank another $40 into it and got the 38 mm motor mount & casing. This year took another $40 and I got motor spacers and a G-motor (biggest you can get without being certified). The flight went off without a hitch, despite a 20 mph wind. The G-motor took us up probably a bit over 1,000 ft. Next year we'll get certified and fly it on some bigger motors that should be able to get us up to 5,000 ft. I need to get started on building an altimiter, accelerometer, radio tracker, ...

Kohler

2011-10-08T08:12:00.000-05:00

I went with my boss to the storybook village of Kohler, WI. Normally we stay at the Kohler hotel on the Kohler campus. This time, however, they were booked solid, and I couldn't get approval for the $500/night American Club, so we stayed in Sheboygan. Our hotel ,the Harbor Winds, was right on the Sheboygan river and only a few blocks from Lake Michigan. The riverfront has been renovated and is beautiful. We dined at all four of the "Stephanos" restaurants: brick oven pizza, organic foods diner, English pub, and his flagship Italian place. Tasty!

Kohler has a Lola race car in the lobby of their engine facility. Pretty sweet little car. Kohler powered, too.

I had a chance to play at Blackwolf Run, but my game isn't up to PGA standards. We had lunch at the clubhouse on the 18th greens. Everyone on the course was struggling as they finished up. If good golfers were playing that poorly, I can't imagine how I would have fared.

Airshow

2011-09-25T18:31:00.000-05:00

Gramma & Grampa came to town for the boys' birthdays and the airshow. We got to see the Blue Angles perform, which is always awesome. We also took home a piece of history, which was even cooler than the Blue Angles. The Confederate Air Force (or whatever it's called now) had their "Fifi" B-29 on display. Grampa took the boys thru the cockpit tour, and then we got to meet a real live WW-II B-29 pilot that was signing autographs on actual pieces of Fifi for $10. How cool is that?!? We now have an actual piece of the aluminum skin of a flying B-29, complete with grease & dirt on the unpainted side.

Game Day!!!!

2011-09-03T10:00:00.003-05:00

Today is the first day of college football season. Nebraska is taking on Chattanooga in Memorial Stadium this afternoon. Before that, Penn State is playing someone (?), and our old neighbor JRO is in town and coming over to watch it.

We're busy getting the basement cleaned up for its inaugural party. I can't wait to watch the Huskers in HD on the 132" screen!

GO BIG RED!!!

Final Weekend of Summer

2011-08-14T21:33:00.002-05:00

This is it! Summer is over as we know it. The boys go back to school Tuesday, and my class starts next Wednesday. Happy happy, joy, joy. JP will be enjoying a few hours of peace & quiet each day again. (A bit different from my P & Q's, but that's OK.) This weekend we attempted to close out some of our projects.

JP took the boys to the zoo & Sunken Gardens for our token summer vacation trip. We've been so busy with the basement, we didn't take a real vacation. Sorry kids, the Lincoln Children's Zoo is all you're getting this year. Oh, and a ginormous xbox screen, and a place to hang with your buds, and some peace of mind for you parents.

This weekend we framed in the circuit breaker panel, built the A/V cabinet, and then sanded and stained the deck. I hate trying to lay in the sun on my stomach - being bent over for five hours while sanding & staining cured me of that complaint.

Basement Progress

2011-08-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

This weekend we worked on the basement. Again. Finished up the baseboard and quarter-round, installed the fireplace base, and built the mantle. Everything is painted and looking good. All that remains are the A/V cabinet, and fraiming the circuit breaker panel. The boys enjoy the cool darkness getaway from the summer heat.

Airsoft Arsenal

2011-08-08T20:41:00.000-05:00

The boys have been mowing the lawn twice a week and saving up their money. CP actually asks to mow now. They have discovered the cool world of airsoft weaponry. For $20, they can get a full-sized plastic AK-47, FAMAS, or G-3 that shoots pop cans like nothing else.

Florida!

2011-08-08T20:37:00.000-05:00

I had a business trip to Orlando & Tampa last week. Four days of looking at mowers and talking to mower mechanics, mower salesmen, mower distributors, mower operators, etc. I used a few free hours to hit SRQ and soak in the beach scene. I was able to get a sweet hotel on South Lido for the night.

I guess this is as good as a reunion can get for the PV class of '86. The classes of '85 and '87 are so organized and with it. What happened to my class? Anyway, I was happy to be there and see some old friends.

Harvest Time

2011-08-08T20:21:00.000-05:00

Valentine likes to help with the fresh veggies out of the G's garden.

Carpet!!!

2011-07-25T20:22:00.000-05:00

Aaaahhhhh..... Finally! Today our carpet was installed. The saw is back in the garage, and all we have left is another hundred feet of 1/4-round, the fireplace, and the A/V rack.

Just another basement weekend

2011-07-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

This weekend, we did what every other couple does when they've bitten off more than they can chew: we worked on the basement some more... We caulked the baseboard, we primed the baseboard, we finished painting the baseboard, we installed the casing around the office closet, we finished the casing around the storage room door, we caulked and painted the casing, we installed the window sills, we installed the laminate flooring transition wolding tracks, we installed the remote control and glass for the fireplace, we babysat the neighbors' fluffy dog, we babysat the other neighbors' tiny dog & cat, we entertained guests for lunch today, and we moved everything out of the bare areas in anticipation of carpet on Monday!!! School starts back up in four weeks - all I want is to have everything done and a free weekend in the sun before class begins. At least we had a beautiful sunset storm.

Basement Sofa

2011-07-10T20:05:00.000-05:00

Here's the large sofa and the larger window opening...

Basement Progress

2011-07-10T12:57:00.004-05:00

This week we received the new sofa for the basement. JP fought for an hour and a half with the delivery guys about getting it downstairs. It was a long, hot day for them, and they did not want to even try to get the pieces downstairs. If JP signed a damage waiver, then they would give it a shot. No thanks - we'll just wait for TP to get home from work...

I got home from work, had a bite to eat, calmed JP down, and then we tried to get the sofa downstairs. The first attempts were launched from the kitchen. We tried big end first, small end first, skinny dimension first, fat-wise first. It finally became obvious that the pieces would not be going down the stairs.

When we framed the windows, I made a special window sill for the office window so that if/when we wanted to get something big thru the window, it would have a better shot. So we drug the sofa outside and tried to slide it thru the basement window. Nope. Again, we tried the curved end first, armrest end first, skinny side up, skinny side to the side, etc. The sofa was 41" and the window 39". So close, but there's no way to shrink a 10-foot sofa down by two inches.

Now what?!? It was getting late and I was hot & tired & sweaty from wrestling with sofa in the window well. Our last option: pull the window out of the house! Of course! Why not? It only took half an hour to remove the siding, nails, & seal to get the window frame out of the house. That gave us the precious two inches of clearance we needed to easily slide the big pieces downstairs. I wasn't going to go thru the hassle of reinstalling the window, but I was so sick of it I figured I'd better, because it wouldn't be any easier the following day. We had everything buttoned up by 9:15. Good thing, too, because we had a humdinger of a storm that night.

Last weekend (4th of July), we installed the double doors for the office. They were primed and had the glass masked with plastic film. We were surprised that they required so much work. For what they cost, I expected that they would have been closer to being finished. Whatever. They look gorgeous now.

Also last weekend, we installed the laminate floor. Just click it together, right? It took 12 hours to install less than 400 square feet. It was a lot more work than I ever thought it would be. We went carpet shopping yesterday and came away with nothing. How can carpet be so expensive?!?

Today we finished the bathroom - caulking, towel bars, etc. Only need a mirror & shower curtain.

Fireworks!

2011-07-10T12:43:00.000-05:00

This year the boys had fun, as usual, playing with their fireworks. AJ was here from California and help to keep the boys busy for a couple of weeks. JRO brought us some bottle rockets to shoot out of the homemade RPG. How much better can it get than that?

Storm of the Year

2011-06-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

Tonite we had the best storm of the year, so far. High winds, golfball sized hail, creepy clouds, and a light show that was second to none. We were spared the worst of it. However, 5-10 miles south of us got POUNDED. Of course, that's where all the fireworks stands are. They got rained out last year, and the night before opening day, they received an inch of rain.

Busy Week

2011-06-26T19:35:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, we tiled the shower. This week we finished it up with grouting and cleaning. Thursday nite, JP laid the tile floor while I was at work.

This weekend we completed the bathroom floor and then attacked the fireplace. We were able to get it all done, including grout. JP wired up the last remaining outlets, so now the electric system is complete except for the fireplace wiring.

Father's Day

2011-06-21T20:56:00.001-05:00

For Father's Day, we finished tiling the shower. It still needs to be grouted, but now all 85 ft^2 are up and shiny. After that, we played cornhole and enjoyed the nice day.

The day after Father's Day, we had a hellacious storm come up from Kansas. I had been working downstairs, and when I looked outside I saw this cloud. At first I thought it was a funnel cloud, but it was just a section of the wall cloud that was passing over at that moment. Spectacular!!

Basement Helpers

2011-06-21T20:51:00.001-05:00

Now that the final vision of what the basement will become, we have plenty of helpers for the project. GP likes to mix mortar.

Maggie like to watch JP hook up outlets.

Valentine likes to hold things down so that they don't blow away. (She also likes to see what's in the mortar pail, but she won't admit it.)

The Doors

2011-06-13T21:31:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we hung the three normal-sized doors for the bathroom, storage room, and under-the-stairs closet. The first one was a hassle. The last one was a breeze.On Sunday we hit the good ol' Nebraska Furnitur Mart and picked up the projector abd hooked it up. Guitar Hero has never been better!I know, fellow Linconlites, I need to keep my dollars local, but NFM has prices and selection that cannot be beat, and make it worth the drive there.

Drywall!

2011-06-07T21:29:00.001-05:00

We contracted out the plumbing & drywall. It's cheaper and faster to have experts do it for us.

The drywall crew hung 3000 s.f. of rock last week, and the finishing guy has been working daily to patch it up and make it real.

This past weekend, I rocked the fireplace and it was enough to make me fully appreciate how good the drywall professionals are. I stayed out of the way and hung the Durock in the shower. What a mess!

Insulation

2011-05-31T20:40:00.002-05:00

Last week and weekend, JP hung the insulation. We never thought that it would be that difficult, but all of our floor joists are at spacing other than 16" OC. We had to cut down every piece that went into the ceiling. Yuck. The insulation inspector gave us his stamp of approval this morning.

Today was the first official day of summer vacation for the boys. They stayed busy watching the guys haul our drywall into the basement. 70 sheets in all. 3,000 square feet. 2,000 lbs. I'm glad I didn't have to do that.

Another HS Graduate

2011-05-31T20:20:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Nana came out and we all went down to OK City to watch our nephew graduate. I can't believe he's already going to college next year. Wow.

Nod of Approval

2011-05-24T20:41:00.004-05:00

This last weekend we spent all of our free time finishing up the details on our rough-in basement in preparation for our inspections this week. As usual, the weekend was way too short, so I took off half a day on Monday to complete the items that weren't crossed off JP's list on Sunday.

Today the framing, plumbing, and mechanical inspectors came and gave us their stamps of approval. Tomorrow the electrical guy is scheduled to stop by. If all goes well, we'll be hanging insulation this weekend and drywall next week!

Let there be Light!

2011-05-13T20:44:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we installed and hooked up 16 of the 18 light fixtures in the basement. A few days earlier the plumber came and installed all the bathroom plumbing and drains. I'm glad I didn't attempt that project - it would have taken me all weekend and then some.

You know it must be springtime when...

2011-05-13T20:27:00.006-05:00

You know it must be springtime when
•It's 98 on Tuesday, and 50 degrees colder a few days later.
•There are wild ducks trying to nest in your backyard.
•There is a momma duck with 18 ducklings in the pond at GP's school.
•The wild ducks that tried to nest in your backyard chase a squirrel out of the neighbor's yard in order to get to their front yard water feature.
•You have to give the dog benedryl for her allergies.

Chicken Challenge

2011-05-01T21:58:00.003-05:00

Busy weekend - Friday night we hit Menards and got all the can lights and the shower pan for the basement.

Saturday morning we installed all the lights and picked up the fireplace after GP's run downtown. In the afternoon, I swapped out my snow tires for the normal summer rubber. Nice to have my ride back - I have always been afraid of wearing out the soft snow tires.

Saturday night we went to our Chicken Challenge at the neighbors'. Each couple brought a chicken dish and we sampled each. Everyone ended up eating way too much. After dinner, we acted out a murder mystery.

Sunday we finished off the framing so that we can get it inspected this week, and then put up all the switch and outlet boxes. Next step will be to start stringing romex.

Mayor's Run

2011-05-01T21:55:00.003-05:00

Once again it's time for the annual Mayor's Run downtown around the capital building. CP is too old this year, so it was just GP. As usual, it was colder than planned, and we wished we had brought warmer clothes and hats.

Finally, a new Mower!

2011-05-01T21:50:00.002-05:00

Since I work for a mower company, one would think that I'd have the biggest, baddest mower on the block. Not so. The boys are old enough to cut the grass now, but our old mower with the monster engine I put on it is too difficult to push, so I broke down and got a sweet Toro 22" Recycler with Personal Pace. After cutting with it, I wish I had made the move five years ago.

Easter Brunch

2011-05-01T21:39:00.002-05:00

This Easter, in addition to the standard Easter Bunny activities of the egg hunt and feast of candy, we held our first annual Easter Sunday Neighborhood Brunch with the neighborhood. A fun time was had by all. We finished the party with a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity.

Soffet & Fireplace

2011-04-17T18:32:00.003-05:00

This weekend we framed in the fireplace and soffet. My hands are so sore, I can barely type. I got a sliver that went in one side of my finger, out the other side, and into the next finger. Looking forward to some down time at work tomorrow.

Piano Recital

2011-04-03T21:11:00.002-05:00

The boys had their piano recital today out in Denton, where their piano teacher lives. CP played the theme from Lord of the Rings, and GP played "Don't Stop Believin'" from Journey. In all, I think there were 32 kids on the program. It's funny how much I used to loathe reciatals, but now they don't bother me so much.

This weekend we concentrated on the new bathroom in the basement. JP secured a building permit, so we are now officially finishing our basement. My new favorite toy (and the boys', too) is the Ramset powder nailer I'm borrowing from my neighbor. It shoots nails into concrete using .22 caliber blanks. Cool! We only have two more weekends of framing to do, and then it's on to the electrical & plumbing.

Out of the Closet

2011-03-27T17:34:00.002-05:00

Today we finished up the new basement office by building the closet. Some day, it will be the equipment closet for my basement studio. Just picture two stackes of Marshall's where I'm standing... The office will have a 56" frosted glass double door, and the closet opening is 60" wide. The double doors make the room seem larger than it is, and they allow the light from the window to reach the rest of the area. Next task: the bathroom. This week, we'll draw up the details in CAD and scout out how to do plumbing.

Building Walls

2011-03-26T18:35:00.004-05:00

Friday night, both boys went to friends' houses for sleep-overs. This was the first time EVER that we have been w/o kids in the house. We didn't know what to do! Where to go? Menard's, of course! We loaded the Odyssey up with another load of 2x4s for the basement.

Friday nite we put up the north wall of the new office (man cave), and Saturday we added the west and south walls. Sunday's task is to put in the closet.

Lucky Day

2011-03-20T21:26:00.001-05:00

On St. Patrick's Day, I was playing ball w/GP. It was a beautiful day - warm, breezy, and Friday. I looked down and saw a 4-leaf clover. Well, it looks like a 4-leaf clover, and it was good enough for GP, especially on St. P's day, so we're sticking with our story - It's a four-leaf clover and we're lucky!

Opening Season

2011-03-20T21:13:00.003-05:00

This weekend we added another wall to the basement. This is the one under the laundry room. We rebuilt the silly header over window that the builder built. Three 2x4s laying flat is not the same as two 2x5s lying on edge. The original headers over both windows were sagging.

Today was the first day of spring. 74 degrees, a warm breeze (not wind), and sunshine. All the neighbors climbed out from under thier rocks and wandered over to the deck. We've been shuffling all the crap around in the basement as we move from area to area, so it was a relief to move the deck chairs outside. Much less stuff to shuffle. now.

Back in the Real World

2011-03-13T18:03:00.000-05:00

Spending a week in paradise was too nice. When we arrived in Chicago, I turned on my phone for the first time in a week and saw a message from the neighbor: "If you get this in between flights - Call Me!" Called him and found out that the furnace had gone out the night before and Nana & the boys were living w/o heat. Good thing it wasn't zero...

We spent most of Friday troubleshooting the furnace, heat pump, and thermostat. Finally got it working and then it was on to Menards to get materials for another wall in the basement.

We were able to finish the wall that makes the new storage area.

Mexico!

2011-03-13T10:04:00.000-05:00

We spent 6 days in Mexico on the Mayan Riviera at the Imperial Valentin resort. Wow - it was better than I expected. Next time we need to plan on staying longer. I forgot how nice it is to lounge around in the sunshine.

We went with our neighbors from across the street. No kids!

1st Day of Spring?

2011-03-13T07:33:00.000-05:00

After we got the basement wall complete, we ran outside to enjoy the beautiful spring day. Needless to say, the entire neighborhood had a bit of spring fever.

Basement Wall No. 5

2011-02-13T18:34:00.000-06:00

Today was absolutely gorgeous outside, so we worked on the basement as fast as we could in order to get outside and enjoy the windless sunny day.

Even the cat & dog helped do their parts.

So far we have four days labor and $260 for five walls. That's $52 per wall. Not bad. We only have 8 to go.
Plus electrical. Plus HVAC. Plus plumbing. Plus insulation & drywall. We have a long way to go...

Basement Wall No. 4

2011-02-13T10:32:00.000-06:00

Saturday we framed up wall number 4 in the basement. The whole family got involved pushing it up into place.

The shape of things to come is becoming evident. Check out the duct tape TV screen. 120" of HD! The TV wall is next on the list.

Blue & Gold

2011-02-12T21:11:00.000-06:00

This year JP volunteered to put on the Blue & Gold banquet for cub scouts. She put together displays for all of our activities throughout the year, and the scouts voted for their favorite. My single vote for rockets was not enough (despite the really cool display I made). Laser tag won by a landslide.

Next year at this time will be GP's last cub scout event. JP wanted to do this year's banquet in order to set a precedent for next year, when GP will be moving on.

In all, we had about 200 people and the whole shindig went off without a hitch, thanks to JP's planning and attention to detail.

Blizzard of 2011

2011-02-12T20:53:00.000-06:00

The great blizzard of 2011 that pounded most of the US just missed Nebraska. We only received a few inches of snow, but with it came 40 mph continuous winds. Having no trees between us and the north pole, the snow blows and blows and blows around and all over. I had to get in on the passenger side of my car due to the snowdrift that piled up during the day. 10 deg and non-stop 40 mph wind - Yuk! It was total whiteout at times on my way home from work.

Old Friends

2011-02-12T20:45:00.001-06:00

While in the SRQ area, I hooked up with some old highschool friends. Here are F & B.
Also saw MAL, who is now MAG. She has a 13-year old son with a brain tumor that has just started to undergo chemotherapy. Check out her blog: theNathanReport.blogspot.com.

Florida Trip

2011-02-12T20:32:00.000-06:00

I hate business travel, and I really hate going to warm places in the middle of winter. I had to go to Florida for a few days to check on some of our test mowers. Flew into Ft. Lauderdale, then drove up to Tampa, spent the weekend in the SRQ area, and then on to Orlando. Rough.

My coworker and I started Sunday in Venice and worked our way up to the northern tip of Ana Maria Island. We found three sharks' teeth at Venice. I was surprised to see that the pier I used to love to fish from is alive and well after being away for 25 years.

The pier at Bradenton Beach is also alive and well and much cleaner. I couldn't believe how clean Sarasota Bay has become. It's beautiful now!

We stumbled across a Packers playoff party in Florida. Go figure.

Misc

2011-01-16T22:15:00.000-06:00

Check out how tall CP is! Today he swiped my sneakers. That's my shirt he's wearing.

This weekend we finished up framing under the kitchen table area of the basement. $125 of lumber. The builder used three 2x6's stacked flat as a header above the window. I never noticed it, but it was sagging about half an inch. We beefed it up with some additional 2x6s on edge in the window frame as well as a double 2x8 header in the basement frame wall. We also added that beam that runs across.

JP has been busy baking artisan bread from her new favorite cookbook, "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" We're both putting on weight. Who can resist fresh baked bread EVERY day?

Good Karma

2011-01-09T21:44:00.002-06:00

On my return trip from WI, I left my portfolio on top of the self-check-in kiosk. I made a mental note to grab it, but I was so amazed that the machine printed out a real old-school cardstock boarding pass, I walked away without my stuff. In my portfolio I had all my trip notes, business cards, and most importantly, the family Kindle. Throughout my trip, whenever I had a few minutes, I worked on the book I've been reading. The thought of losing my Kindle devastated me.

I realized that I left my stuff on the ticket machine while I was tying my shoes on the far side of the security wall. It took five solid minutes to walk back around (and downstairs to the baggage claim and back up to the lobby) to the ticket kiosk (@ O'Hare). Of course, my belongings were nowhere to be found. I asked the ticket agents, the passenger herders, etc. - no luck.

I went back through security (got the full body scan this time) and met up with my group. We got on the plane and just as the door was being shut, a woman came on and asked if I was TP. "Yeah, that's me. I'm in the right seat, though." I thought she was going to try to take my seat. She asked me again and then asked if I was missing anything. "Yeah - I lost my leather folder and Kindle!" From behind her back she handed me my portfolio. I thought I would never see it again! OK, maybe It would find its way back, but most likely sans Kindle.

I try to have a positive outlook on life, and when I realized my loss, I hoped that some kindred traveller would help me. After all, it's O'Hare, right? Chicago is just about the friendliest place I know. I had a wonderful flight back to NE.

...and so it begins

2011-01-08T21:33:00.000-06:00

After a two year hiatus, we returned to Menard's. We filled the Odyssey up with 2x4's and started on finishing the basement. One wall is done. Quite a few more to go. Anyone have a framing nailer & compressor?

Tailgating

2011-01-08T21:25:00.000-06:00

I took advantage of an opportunity to go to the Packers / Bears game the day after New Year's. I've always admired the Packers for being able to pack 80,000 fans into Lambeau Field every game. Green Bay has a population of only 83,000 people.

New Year's Eve

2011-01-08T09:03:00.000-06:00

This year the usual gang got together to celebrate the arrival of the new year. We all went to the lodge for dinner and then from house to house for drinks & games. (...and legal fireworks @ midnite!)

Legos

2010-12-25T19:04:00.000-06:00

I should have told everyone to buy stock in Legos this season. GP got Lego Universe (PC-based MMOG), and CP got a motorized walking AT-AT. GP's lego game is taxing the old laptop - it's pretty graphics intensive and needs a lot of horsepower. CP's AT-AT had over 1100 parts. We had read reviews of it that said to expect 8-12 hours of assembly time. As we unbagged the parts, my level of concern kept climbing.

CP started after lunch and worked all afternoon on it.

After 4-1/2 hours, he had his AT-AT walking along. I just hope that it doesn't become a dog toy - the dogs HATE it.

Christmas

2010-12-25T18:56:00.000-06:00

GP got into bed with us @ 4:30 this morning. He was too excited to sleep, so he figured he would let us in on his excitement. We managed to contain everyone until 5:40. In the boys' minds, that's close enough to 6:00. They dressed themselves in their new Boston shirts and were ready to go, as can be seen in the picture.

Dinner was nice, as usual. Ate too much, as usual.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-25T18:48:00.000-06:00

This year we have Nana here for X-Mas. The O's came over Christmas eve.

Santa's little helper.

Helpful Kitty

2010-12-25T18:45:00.000-06:00

JP is knitting a sweater for the dog. The cat wants to help, too.

CSSBB!!!

2010-12-18T16:12:00.000-06:00

This week I gave my presentation to the UNL Six Sigma Black Belt certification board and received the piece of paper that says I'm now officially certified as a six sigma black belt. I was never planning on it when I started back to school, but it worked out with this last class (4th stats class in a row) and I figured that it was now or never.

Now that the semester is officially over, I'm ready to relax and get a life again! JP has plans for me - exercising, finishing the basement, fixing the one strand of lights on the xmas tree, etc.

If you're clueless about what six sigma is: wikipedia article
Or interested in getting certified: UNL Engineering

Old Tron

2010-12-18T15:49:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we had a movie viewing party at the neighbors' for the original 1982 TRON. This weekend we're all heading out to see the new "Tron Legacy" Everyone is stoked for some good scifi action. Hopefully it won't be over the top slo-mo kung fu fighting and bullet dodging. We're wanting more video game connections like in the orginal.

In Production

2010-12-08T20:21:00.000-06:00

The other day at work, I received a big box full of these circuit boards. It made my day! This is the first circuit board that I designed from scratch that has made it into production. I'm not an electrical engineer, nor do I play one on TV, but it is fun to dabble in.

What is it, you ask? It's a multi-purpose tachometer signal conditioner. It accepts pulses from a wire wrapped around a spark plug wire, a normal NPN switch, or a switch contact closure and converts the pulses to solid 5-volt pulses that can be used by other instruments. It also converts the pulses to a proportional voltage signal, and it has an alarm output that can be used to turn on/off whatever you need if the speed falls below a setpoint. It runs off of 9 to 30 volts AC or DC and cannot be hooked up backwards.

I love my job!

Holiday Spirit

2010-12-08T20:06:00.000-06:00

CP turned his nerf rifle into an M-16. It looks like he's ready for the holidays in the holy land.

Farewell Katrina

2010-12-04T11:45:00.000-06:00

This morning we put down Katrina. She had some dental surgury and wasn't able to recover. Turns out she had severe kidney problems. She was 6 and a survivor of Hurricane Katrina.

When we first brought her home from the cat rescue lady, all she wanted to do was to be near our faces. She climbed our legs and climbed up JP's back when she was tying the boys' shoes. Any time we sat down, she was immediately in our laps. I don't think JP ever ate breakfast without Katrina sitting in her lap.

All of us will miss her. She followed JP around the house all day, sat in our laps at night in front of the TV, and slept under the covers with us. Valentine will probably miss her the most.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T19:36:00.000-06:00

This year we tried something new for Thanksgiving - we went to JP's cousin's house. What a joy it was not to have to cook & plan! We can't wait for next year. I wonder if they'll do Christmas, too. . .

New Wimpy Kid

2010-11-12T21:11:00.000-06:00

Tonite we went to B&N for the release party of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth." GP had a good time. The rest of us browsed and each found several hundred dollars of books that would be nice to read.

When we left the store we were greeted by a full on snow storm. I had to clean the windows of the van with my hands - no scraper in the car yet - it was 70 degrees last weekend!

Choir Concert

2010-11-12T21:04:00.000-06:00

CP had his first choir concert this week. The pic is a bit blurry from the phone cam, but you can pick out our boy - he's the tall kid in the back row just right of center.

Robotron!

2010-11-12T21:01:00.000-06:00

I've been playing Robotron on the Dig Dug machine, but the monitor is arranged vertically and robotron is a horizontal-format game, so the screen comes out fairly small. Too small for such a legendary game.

Last Sunday it was too nice to lay around and watch TV and I was burned out on my school project, so I found a piece of scrap plastic and made a new control panel for Pole Position. The kids were the only ones that played it, and I think we'll get more play time out of the joystick control setup.

I recycled JRO's Chinese Hero control panel artwork, joysticks, and buttons. What a game! My hands hurt from cranking on the sticks.

Barber Mom

2010-11-12T20:53:00.000-06:00

JP got tired of shelling out $15 for bad haircuts, so she took matters into her own hands and gave GP a nice haircut with the clippers. The cat & dog were very interested in the whole thing.

Halloween

2010-11-12T20:47:00.000-06:00

This year the CP went as the Terminator, and GP was Jason, and I was wishing I had taken a hat with me when we went trick or treating. It was cold and breezy.

2010 Cub Scout Rocket Launch

2010-10-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

We had a perfect day for the annual cub scout rocket launch. Both boys are now able to setup their own rockets. The wind was down to 10 mph, and we only lost one that drifted out into a cornfield.

Gramma's Funeral

2010-10-11T18:36:00.000-05:00

Saturday was devoted to the whole reason we went to Utah - Gramma's funeral. She lived a truly fantastic life and went quickly without pain or suffering. I hope someday I can do the same.

As usual for any big family get together, the S family provided all the live entertainment.

Good bye Gramma. We love you!

After a long day, it was face down time on the table for GP.

Family

2010-10-11T18:31:00.000-05:00

After Snowbird, we went to uncle O's place to say Hi. Little O was to be married on Sunday, so Aunt A was busy trying to put everything together. A wedding and a funeral in the same weekend!

After Uncle O's, we went to R & JP's place for a shrimp boil. The boys were uber impressed with RP's firearms and civil war stuff. They have a new real-life hero that competes head-to-head with the xbox.

TB says "If you'd just take off that other sock, I'd be able to fly around the room."

Snowbird

2010-10-11T18:24:00.003-05:00

Stop three was my favorite place in SLC: Snowbird. We ate lunch at the grille and then took the tram up to the top. GP was more than a little nervous going up. He refused to let go of his pole.

When we pulled up in the parking lot, we were greeted with some snowflakes. If it was snowing there, what was going on up top? More of the same.

Fortunately, the wind wasn't blowing to bad, and the clouds only blocked the view upwards. We could see down into American Fork and Little Cottonwood canyons. Niiiiice.

I have never seen the boys as excited as they were here. I don't know if it was the abundance of gift shops, the good food, or just the beauty of the place. CP actually asked me if I wanted to go for a hike! Of course!!!

The aspen were beginning to change and the sun broke out. What a beautiful day.

Bingham Canyon

2010-10-11T18:15:00.000-05:00

Stop two on our tour around the valley was the Bingham Canyon copper mine. The first time I was here they were using trains to haul the rock. Now it's big dump trucks.

It was a cloudy rainy day and the clouds hid the tops of the surrounding mountains. Click on the panorama to see it full-size. Hard to believe that there was once a mountain where this hole is. Took over 100 years to remove it with dynamite.

The trucks on the road are each larger than our house and can haul 240 tons of rock. The boys enjoyed watching them drive around. Too bad we didn't catch any blasting.

Smelly Beach

2010-10-11T17:55:00.000-05:00

Saturday we played tourist around the salt lake valley. First stop: the smelly Great Salt Lake. We aren't sure if the smell eminated from the dead brine shrimp on the shore or the coal-fired Kenecott smelter across the street.

It was too cold for the boys to go swimming. Instead they played with the foam and tried their best not to fall in.

Deaths in the Family

2010-10-11T17:50:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday we learned that both Gramma P and JP's Uncle G died. We loaded up the family truckster and hit the road Thursday in an attempt to go 900 miles west to SLC in a day.

As we went west, the altitude increased and the air pressure decreased and the bag of chips swelled up like a racoon sleeping on the side of the road.

Once we left NE, we were treated to something other than blue skies and flat ground.

What's on the golf course? Antelope!
We made it to our hotel in 13 hours. The ever changing scenery of WY & UT made it exciting, especially for the boys, who have only road tripped across Iowa.

Pumpkin Run

2010-10-11T17:30:00.000-05:00

Both boys and JP ran the one-mile Pumpkin Run at Pioneers Park this year. It's the largest kid cross country run in the nation. Here in Lincoln.

Crown Molding

2010-10-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

We didn't have anything to do last weekend and the Huskers weren't playing, so JP said "Hey, let's put up crown molding in the living room." OK. It took seven 12-ft pieces to go around the room. Fortunately, for the first time in my life, I didn't make any mistakes on the saw and did not have to make a return journey to the Home Depot.

Birthdays

2010-10-02T07:47:00.000-05:00

GP celebrated his bday with lasagne and sugar cookies.

JP ambushed CP's bday candles with trick candles that kept relighting. The boys thought it was the funniest thing ever. This week has been absolutely beautiful. I remember when we took CP home from the hospital and it was snowing.

ITLAPD 2010

2010-09-22T20:06:00.000-05:00

Since International Talk Like A Pirate day fell on Sunday, this year we observed it on Monday at work. The guys all got in the spirit and wore their iPatches for me. It made my day. However, JP is not as appreciative of pirate talk and forbade it in the house. Arrrrrgh.

The HR manager asked me about the pirate flag flying on our flagpole. Um.... uh... it's a team building exercise we're doing.

Football Season Again!!!

2010-09-22T19:58:00.000-05:00

Football season is back. Go Big Red!!! Homecoming is this weekend and will be another easy win.
Last year in the Big 12. Looking forward to taking on the Big 10 next year.

Death in the Hood

2010-09-22T19:53:00.001-05:00

I'm sad to report that our neighbor EL to the north passed away after fighting cancer for a year. We will miss him.

Animals run the house

2010-09-22T19:52:00.001-05:00

Dry paws on one side, cool clear water on the other. So that's the purpose of a double sink.

All the girls like to sleep past dawn.

Last Game

2010-08-29T18:34:00.000-05:00

Last nite we watched our third and final Saltdogs game with work. It was a beautiful nite, and our neighbors went with us. After the game we were treated to a spectacular fireworks show out over the RR tracks.

There's Memorial Stadium, home of the Huskers. Hard to believe that in less than a week, it will once again become the third largest city in Nebraska. Go Big Red! Our opening game is against Western North Kentucky - will we be able to pull it off?

Every day, JP finds her knitting bag in disarray with all its contents scattered about the house. Today she found the culprit. All that stuff is usually in the bag.

Back to School

2010-08-22T08:52:00.000-05:00

The boys headed back to school this week. CP started jr. high and is loving the independence it gives him. GP loves his new teacher and is glad to back with all his friends. I am taking a class on campus this semester that meets twice a week, so that should be exciting.

Yesterday was busy day. It started with teeing off @ 8:30 and playing 9 holes, then mow/trim/edge, then wash the car, then a trip to home depot for 500' of wire, then all afternoon in the sun installing the underground dog fence wire. If I were in the south, I'd say "Om tarred!"

Summer Storm

2010-08-11T21:16:00.000-05:00

We finally had a summer storm blow thru last nite. It has been so hot and muggy lately, it was a blessing. We had beautiful thunderheads glowing pink in the sunset, spooky dark clouds and lots of nice cool wind, but the rain missed us by a mile (literally). We watched a lightning show to the east and Venus, Mars, & Saturn to the west in a clear dark blue sky.

NI Week 2010

2010-08-11T21:09:00.000-05:00

I spent last week in Austin at NI Week. It's a weeklong geekfest put on by National Instruments. They make all of our test hardware and software. The guy in the picture is hooked up so that he can play Super Marioworld by twitching his eye.

Austin is such a fun city. I can't wait to go back next year.

Pole Position!

2010-08-11T20:50:00.001-05:00

I finally gave up on the old Pentium II and escalated up to a speedy Pentium III. 600 MHz and 96 MB RAM running XP!! Whoo hoo. We can now play Pole Position and most of the old arcade games that need a steering wheel.

Saltdogs Game No. 2

2010-08-01T08:51:00.000-05:00

Last nite we went to the second company-sponsored Saltdogs game. The neighbors across the street also went. The boys were interested in everything but the game. Until a foul ball came our way - that woke them up and they paid attention for 10 minutes.

More Trees

2010-08-01T08:37:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we were wandering thru Campell's and found that all their trees were 25% off. Finally! We've been waiting for them to go on sale all summer. Click on the back yard panorama to see it full-size.

We got a columnar white pine, a norway spruce, and two large river birch. Needless to say, we had to dig a hole in the Nebraska clay for each. I am done with digging holes for a while.

Vacation!

2010-08-01T07:49:00.001-05:00

We did our summer vacation over a 4-day weekend in mid-July. It was a whirlwind trip to Illinois to see Nana & the gang there. This is Max, BD's new dog. He is 100% puppy.

BD brought his SKS over for the boys to check out. CP is in love.

We spent one day on Lake Geneva at JP's favorite beach - Fontana. Clear water, soft sand, pleasant people - nice! Our friends from the old hood met us there and we finished the day with a great lunch at the beach bar next door.

Fourth of July Video

2010-07-11T08:15:00.001-05:00

Our neighbor put together a fun video of our 4th celebration.

4th of july from Shawn Doné on Vimeo.

Webelos Camp

2010-07-11T08:08:00.000-05:00

GP did his Webelos 1 camp this past week @ Camp Cornhusker. We were treated to four days of standard Nebraska weather - rain, heat, humidity, and bugs.

GP's favorite activity was the mountain boarding. It involved riding a giant skateboard with off-road tires and a handbrake down the hill. Needless to say, I did not try it.

CG & BG went with us for the four day blast of fun. I think next year we will try another camp up by Freemont. This was my 6th or 7th trip to Camp Cornhusker and I'm ready for a change.