Mother's Day 2012

JP has been complaining that our current cat isn't affectionate enough for her. She is always with us, but she stays just out of reach - she's not a lap cat.

We've been casually looking for an additional cat, but haven't had much luck. Petco has some nice ones from the Beatrice animal shelter, but they're $80 to adopt. There's no such thing as free kittens in the paper or Craig's List any more. I mentioned this at work, and half a dozen coworkers spun around and simultaneously asked "You need a cat!?!" Seems that everyone has kittens, they just don't actively try to give them away. With dogs, cars, coyotes, owls, etc., the lifespan of the typical farm cat in NE is only about a year. Most farmers go thru 3 or 4 litters each year with no net gain in the number of farm cats.

On of the guys in my group asked if we would be interested in an older cat. Sure. His complaint is that the cat wants too much affection. Perfect for JP!!! I brought her home Friday night, and she's starting to live up to the too much affection claim. Her name is Libby, and she's five years old.

Last Chorus Concert

Last week we attended GP's chorus concert. It's sad to think that we are now done with elementary school. The school here in Lincoln was the best experience for the boys, ever. We have our issues with NE and the lack of life here, but the bottom line is that this is the best place to raise kids.

Olive Garden

Nana stayed with us on her way to & from seeing her other grandkids in OK City. We're halfway there, so it makes for a perfect rest stop. On her way back, we went out for dinner (a big treat for us, as we only go out to eat once in a blue moon) at GP's favorite place - the Olive Garden. Both boys thoroughly enjoyed their meals. GP ate ALL of his order of fettuccine alfredo. It was probably 4 pounds of pasta and sauce. Plus breadsticks and two plates of salad. Won't be long before he's taller than me, too. (CP is now an inch taller than I).
 

End of the Day

GP had a long day. 10 minutes before this photo, he was in a most foul pre-teen mood. Looks like he just needed a nap.

40

Our young neighbor hits 40 later this year. He is feeling the pressure of mid-life and bought himself a toy. It's got an aluminum big block that puts out 426 hp thru a 6-speed manual gearbox. SWEET!!!

Feline Video Games

JP found some video games for the cat. It's cute, but the cat has become like the boys and wants to play video games 24/7.

New Datalogger

I finally received the production prototypes of my new lawnmower data logger circuit board. We're going to get a bunch made and install them on mowers across the country to measure fuel consumption. Some of our customers can accumulate 1,000 hours per season on their mowers. The bigger mowers can burn two gallons an hour, which adds up pretty quick at $3.50 a gallon. Fuel economy is starting to become more of a conversation topic with landscapers.

The datalogger records engine RPM, fuel flow, fuel level, throttle position, manifold pressure, and the date/time once per second. With an 8 GB SD card, it can record continuously for 3.4 years before it runs out of space. I love being a geek and getting paid for it.

New Old Stock

I found a marquee for my Omega Race arcade game. I had the choice of a used one, or a "NOS" one that was brand new with the protective paper still on it. That's a no-brainer - give me the new one! When it arrived, I was excited to peel off the paper and see my new found treasure. It was "new", but the temporary adhesive on the paper was 30 years old and had become permanent. It took over an hour to peel it all off in little tiny crumbs. Omega Race is looking pretty sweet now. I only have to make a patch piece of star & planet black-light background, and then it will be complete.

Easter Brunch

This year for Easter, we hosted a neighborhood brunch. JP cooked up 3.5 pounds of bacon, and it all evaporated quickly. Next year we should serve at least 8 pounds. It was a beautiful sunny day, but the wind forced us to setup camp in the garage. We have such beautiful weather here, except for the wind that blows 15 mph too much ALL THE TIME.

Snow Tires Be Gone!

GP Helped change out my tires this year. It took over an hour, but he stuck with it until the last lugnut was tight and the snow tires were all up in the attic. Nice to have a capable helper!

Spring Break

For spring break, I had to go on a trip for work. It was a grueling week-long ordeal in Florida. The last two nights we stayed at a place on Clearwater Beach next to a big resort that had live bands every day. It was tough, but we were able to accomplish all of our goals for work.

Owls are back

We've been hearing the owls at nite, hooting back and forth. They used to hang out on JRO's roof, but it looks like they're now perched on ours. One of them hacked up a hairball and dropped it onto the deck. Kinda gross, but I love having them in the neighborhood.

School's Out!

It's been two long months since my last post. I've been a bit tied up with school and work this spring. I took the final for my class this morning and I should have some free time on the weekends again to get caught up with the blog. Stay tuned.