Christmas 2011

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

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!

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

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

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

Packer's Game

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

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

Fall Color

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

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

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

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

Last Cub Scout Rocket Launch

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

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

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!!!!

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

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

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.