tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48713005263695461032024-03-15T03:23:53.679-05:00Bald Guy in Plaid PantsGaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-17272279169564902052011-05-04T22:01:00.001-05:002011-05-04T22:02:15.544-05:00Pictures of My Kids Sleeping<p>After blowing up this blog, I didn't have a place to put the scattered pieces of nothingness that happen in between the events of my family's life documented on Heather's blog. A little of that nothingness happens while the kids are asleep - and, over the last several months, I've been taking pictures of the kids when we check on them before we go to bed. <br /><br />Although I have legitimate doubts that pictures of my kids sleeping with no additional content will appeal to normal literate humans who are not related to our children, I think there's something intrinsically beautiful in a sleeping child. Even if some of that beauty is lost in translation when it's captured by the hurried shot of an iPhone in the dark, I made a depository for these moments of their beautiful life: <br /><a href="http://www.picturesofmykidssleeping.blogspot.com"><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pictures of My Kids Sleeping</span></a>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-78741493578931508902011-01-31T21:38:00.004-06:002011-01-31T21:49:22.750-06:00KABOOM!Three.<br /><br />Two.<br /><br />One.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCu-bLvaQUWGrCqu2RdrELnwVDpfUYgtO6z3Q3xlMZNjjdF9QJs6NdqcVJ2buwnX35X1y8JwR2agbN8DQOocXanxO_CtRy1k7oomgnGvqXZZVpKtU1PJjvptgfPSEe5fsy22XpWADFUlj/s1600/Bomb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCu-bLvaQUWGrCqu2RdrELnwVDpfUYgtO6z3Q3xlMZNjjdF9QJs6NdqcVJ2buwnX35X1y8JwR2agbN8DQOocXanxO_CtRy1k7oomgnGvqXZZVpKtU1PJjvptgfPSEe5fsy22XpWADFUlj/s320/Bomb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568560427764040066" /></a><br /><br />I did it. I couldn't stand doing a poor job of blogging. That was the solution. <br /><br />Thanks for reading. Cheers.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-58987546775197259742010-12-02T21:34:00.000-06:002010-12-02T21:34:27.198-06:00She's a Good Picture Taker<p>Heather does a great job of capturing the kids' personalities with her photography. I'm pretty proud of all that she's learned in the last year and a half. Of course, I'm proud of our kids in the pictures, but she turns the cute up to 11 with her picture taking skills.<br /><br />Last year I was nominated for funniest blog on the Multiples and More Blog Network. Since then I've taken to wearing tweed sport coats with patches on the arms, smoking a pipe, and giving lectures on Russian literature at coffee houses. Accordingly, I am ineligible for the nomination this year.<br /><br />Fear not though, Heather has picked up the slack in blog award nominations. Her blog has been nominated for best photography this year. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oATjz06fAYDfNEZTyGIhnTl_3SBC8WoZNf4gbvleO28wHzzWGzma2l5WGCifeTeYnwzu2U5VpsW5DRPDaMMSu8yhf1h_sOE96CtcjO2Lk7MFbd7pBCUlw898yNs8AIlik072wc7VrNR-/s1600/2010+blog+awards.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 125px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oATjz06fAYDfNEZTyGIhnTl_3SBC8WoZNf4gbvleO28wHzzWGzma2l5WGCifeTeYnwzu2U5VpsW5DRPDaMMSu8yhf1h_sOE96CtcjO2Lk7MFbd7pBCUlw898yNs8AIlik072wc7VrNR-/s320/2010+blog+awards.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546289540378679122" /></a><br />I don't want to be a shameless begging whore. I am. I just don't want to be. Please go vote for her blog <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://multiplesandmore.blogspot.com/2010/11/second-annual-multiples-and-more-blog_29.html">HERE</a></span>. Scroll down to "Best Photography" and hit "Three Lees in a Pod." There's no registration - just click the box and hit vote.<br /><br />If you've already decided to click the link and vote, just do that. If you choose to get all self-righteous and be an informed voter, please look <a href="http://threeleesinapod.blogspot.com/2010/09/first-day-of-playschool.html">here</a>, <a href="http://threeleesinapod.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-patch.html">here</a>, and especially <a href="http://threeleesinapod.blogspot.com/2010/11/last-thanksgiving-post.html">here</a>, to make your decision - unless that decision is to vote against her, then don't do that. <br /><br />You can, and should, vote every day until December 5th. If she wins, I will be giving away an iPad to everyone who votes and posts a comment stating that they voted for her. That was a lie. I will not do that at all. I'm a dirty dirty whore. You will however receive my undying gratitude, which is more valuable than an iPad and less likely to be stolen.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-15185886306436306542010-10-25T20:51:00.001-05:002010-10-25T21:00:51.148-05:00Sea Monster!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7A6jwB0yzSXls1cgOvT1PYrtUn2I6TKDey9wk7DsDpJqr6gdXcQeiqXdYzd1SZpcSLB88QrFP2021N1j5XPEgOPVMlxzr1p-V4qgl65IhaC5yVHCbdwJjc0GNSJSR_X5SXXTj894XMgq/s1600/IMG_0039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7A6jwB0yzSXls1cgOvT1PYrtUn2I6TKDey9wk7DsDpJqr6gdXcQeiqXdYzd1SZpcSLB88QrFP2021N1j5XPEgOPVMlxzr1p-V4qgl65IhaC5yVHCbdwJjc0GNSJSR_X5SXXTj894XMgq/s320/IMG_0039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532162200636934098" /></a><br /><p>If it wasn't for their big meaty fists, the sailors and their craft may have fallen victim to the beast.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-44239041170048006052010-10-21T21:33:00.000-05:002010-10-21T21:35:07.142-05:00A Post<p>When I was a kid I spent a lot of time on the beach. I liked to build sandcastles. More often, I think I just made sand animals. But it's the same idea. I made things out of sand. Sometimes the tide would come in and wash away my dolphin or my octopus. If it was time to leave the beach and my sandcastle was still there, I would stomp all over it before I left. I didn't want to have to think about my sandcastle after I left the beach. What if someone put a ninth arm on my octopus? Or build another dolphin next to my dolphin and made them do dirty things to each other? I can't have that. That's part of the beauty of sandcastles, anyway. They're temporary. No one intends for them to last forever. <br /><br />If this blog was a sandcastle, the tide would have already come in and washed it away. It's been sitting here without update for two months. There's no tide for blogs though. I imagine the blogosphere is full of abandoned sandcastles. I may stomp on it. I haven’t ruled that out. I’m not one to prematurely stomp on a sandcastle, mind you. I'm still on the beach. I'm just doing other things.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-10696433986283388062010-08-17T19:41:00.000-05:002010-08-17T19:41:00.281-05:00Penelope - Days 1, 2 and 3<p><span style="font-weight:bold;">Day 1:</span><br /><br />Last Tuesday we welcomed baby Penelope into our family. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWWRML9u1iFYJyd5y5degpJclUeFYJqp9g5wdqxupDfMeE8f17ywgFd2oaIQ7B5MW1LbPlU9mSf7q40Zc7k9apg3VsLtuX5T_4Sh4pDcH4wVkyKMywDcvLUbepwMtS10kwH60AC0KRabu/s1600/IMG_1704.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWWRML9u1iFYJyd5y5degpJclUeFYJqp9g5wdqxupDfMeE8f17ywgFd2oaIQ7B5MW1LbPlU9mSf7q40Zc7k9apg3VsLtuX5T_4Sh4pDcH4wVkyKMywDcvLUbepwMtS10kwH60AC0KRabu/s320/IMG_1704.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506434412979362562" /></a><br />The whole event was sort of surreal in that it was so "normal." <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjox_iRBo20tLm9BygCZvL_EtVHmMfTjEMR30hOkfxbqaO3mDKD1YKWwHx0TdI8aSh_Bp396ss08D_xCxRFAUnpdxF-OhflpScgtMFdgNZDUOcocf1WMD1X4f4Uyw9sRNE2ya9QpX4PdgK/s1600/IMG_1711.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjox_iRBo20tLm9BygCZvL_EtVHmMfTjEMR30hOkfxbqaO3mDKD1YKWwHx0TdI8aSh_Bp396ss08D_xCxRFAUnpdxF-OhflpScgtMFdgNZDUOcocf1WMD1X4f4Uyw9sRNE2ya9QpX4PdgK/s320/IMG_1711.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506434408633944178" /></a><br /><br />Heather just had a baby. I helped the nurse wash her. Then Heather fed her in recovery. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdxaHO3Da-JUNk0Vb7KSOlPxgqOnq6jJw3-r-HkVDitdkZo3ETK_w27mpWnzHlWu0PYPC_VRDP2TLOYMyn1aG7nsU20cmj0CVM6FECsDNPk-m1qssbKuyRyH8OYfjUyYHH4gwGDZcS7pT/s1600/IMG_1713.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdxaHO3Da-JUNk0Vb7KSOlPxgqOnq6jJw3-r-HkVDitdkZo3ETK_w27mpWnzHlWu0PYPC_VRDP2TLOYMyn1aG7nsU20cmj0CVM6FECsDNPk-m1qssbKuyRyH8OYfjUyYHH4gwGDZcS7pT/s320/IMG_1713.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506434398613666226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzef7JJCeKJqZD9oyKd3QDQLf3VMXTBuDHjZn9Yg_ENEfkC2KKKI63PTjYW-arT4TGbMrPsb6wPCvu6AFw2NrMalcvtciMUHip-EG2fedNLenavOXsEIGC4kaZY477aSyyjFWSXtEAYjI/s1600/IMG_1717.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzef7JJCeKJqZD9oyKd3QDQLf3VMXTBuDHjZn9Yg_ENEfkC2KKKI63PTjYW-arT4TGbMrPsb6wPCvu6AFw2NrMalcvtciMUHip-EG2fedNLenavOXsEIGC4kaZY477aSyyjFWSXtEAYjI/s320/IMG_1717.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506434392648953762" /></a><br />And then they took Heather and Penelope to the mother-baby room, and left us alone.<br /><br />Although it beats the alternative, it was a bit unsettling to have a baby, just hours old, not hooked up to a monitor. It was hard to tell if she was breathing. And if she stopped breathing, there would be no alarm to let us know. I laid on the couch that night telling myself that if babies dropped dead in mother-baby units on a routine basis, I would have heard about it at least once. I haven't, so I figured we were safe. But I poked Penelope at least 100 times just to make sure. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Day 2:</span><br /><br />I have no pictures of Day 2 and I have almost no recollection of it other than I lost track of day and night and forgot to drink my usual four cups of coffee or energy drinks until my head exploded from withdrawal at about 5:00 p.m. I drank a big Starbucks coffee, then threw up three times and passed out, which I'm sure Heather appreciated. I presume everything turned out well during my loss of consciousness as Heather hasn't really mentioned it. <br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Day 3:</span><br /><br />After two days away from the "big" kids, Heather and I were dying to see them. We received a visit on the morning of Day 3. <br /><br />Heather's friends Cathy and Amanda gave Piper, Henry, Rosemary and Penelope big/little - brother/sister shirts that they wore for their big meet and greet: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZasWv_rNpdnJYPKg5hHoGTVYb7hYvjvqjRHoRF6EHmbvQYkp7DC8dtYKNj27Y_TRQMWU3Kow5D3eRqIx5oDJdV_SLQ14eqydknUHwjmLN3p0ua-gmntnjI5re5KTFdaBrlzLIJH71mxK/s1600/IMG_1729.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZasWv_rNpdnJYPKg5hHoGTVYb7hYvjvqjRHoRF6EHmbvQYkp7DC8dtYKNj27Y_TRQMWU3Kow5D3eRqIx5oDJdV_SLQ14eqydknUHwjmLN3p0ua-gmntnjI5re5KTFdaBrlzLIJH71mxK/s320/IMG_1729.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506439921527219554" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2vcKHO8gb_SeEmcQPnZyl27j5iQPxQY8WD7RqfacDm88oj1MrLJ2oMM2C1KiIVSfw5DcXDT4O3xMnhrqFY0IvD618fzYSnIjNZEaYvAm0kqTjvcijS0F0camXX4cRhyFIl1qI6kg9Xx-/s1600/IMG_1724.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2vcKHO8gb_SeEmcQPnZyl27j5iQPxQY8WD7RqfacDm88oj1MrLJ2oMM2C1KiIVSfw5DcXDT4O3xMnhrqFY0IvD618fzYSnIjNZEaYvAm0kqTjvcijS0F0camXX4cRhyFIl1qI6kg9Xx-/s320/IMG_1724.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506439918470177938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZt3dkpKWwRQFwiYXrl1kI4mrsxvJXbqUHI-0yR2bv06O00r-VukLTdhqF3B76FtLBKJpzbfiKtrv1jMt8k9Pp9Lwq8rLwVFP_japwDAxZmSdN-721uxlDrVndGed31m59GyBVJbsj8Lm/s1600/IMG_1725.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZt3dkpKWwRQFwiYXrl1kI4mrsxvJXbqUHI-0yR2bv06O00r-VukLTdhqF3B76FtLBKJpzbfiKtrv1jMt8k9Pp9Lwq8rLwVFP_japwDAxZmSdN-721uxlDrVndGed31m59GyBVJbsj8Lm/s320/IMG_1725.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506439913894308082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3RkbF8WgTuTAluDXS5rdvUmcwFYDKMn3tl0etoSQpOg5JwliQu0D_Sx9Fr00UN6xyD9vnHIxup7NyhSrcMgGULACoc2T5liW-58cs6QcgcVLWrcA0t8cN0ElRiuilc8QhDmwbwRmIZCl/s1600/IMG_1737_trim.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3RkbF8WgTuTAluDXS5rdvUmcwFYDKMn3tl0etoSQpOg5JwliQu0D_Sx9Fr00UN6xyD9vnHIxup7NyhSrcMgGULACoc2T5liW-58cs6QcgcVLWrcA0t8cN0ElRiuilc8QhDmwbwRmIZCl/s320/IMG_1737_trim.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506439911191016226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SYGjuAQO2DqaXXVCMFcmYn2p5aeYQRClhmTXZuejnmILsaZXbq2iVn1ZsOiPmVG5Cf3xi268qZ_iBfbpSHCyIq4eEn1Ghqt_4CHCm-JtI3lUUJSj5HP5Gshm3kC75v0okjbYtcI9IUZe/s1600/IMG_1735.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SYGjuAQO2DqaXXVCMFcmYn2p5aeYQRClhmTXZuejnmILsaZXbq2iVn1ZsOiPmVG5Cf3xi268qZ_iBfbpSHCyIq4eEn1Ghqt_4CHCm-JtI3lUUJSj5HP5Gshm3kC75v0okjbYtcI9IUZe/s320/IMG_1735.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506439221019778434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXz9eZu0Si4VqcGqzNxLci5jiQPf-zPqaiedhPFU8jumjlXgF4R10OZeL_d0R6daMMZQkjARkRXWMBctj-zKTLXUkwxv7YJflP3gL7hi09zyID5CR94Uo2hwAmXmurHgWAaa7xJi-k45n/s1600/IMG_1738_trim.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXz9eZu0Si4VqcGqzNxLci5jiQPf-zPqaiedhPFU8jumjlXgF4R10OZeL_d0R6daMMZQkjARkRXWMBctj-zKTLXUkwxv7YJflP3gL7hi09zyID5CR94Uo2hwAmXmurHgWAaa7xJi-k45n/s320/IMG_1738_trim.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506439212964106850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKF6UeDVx7D5oqWdyHoDpDGXGV1hM-LRgPWB3HNCJ1983onfLcypNp8Av3Vw119qk5CgLzy1LjT_1y1c5zL12ey9SNsKkr1Oi3KHOtUgk7Gqee8rzqELOqf7oEX2OcEGcvDcbwdkBXcmU/s1600/IMG_1742.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKF6UeDVx7D5oqWdyHoDpDGXGV1hM-LRgPWB3HNCJ1983onfLcypNp8Av3Vw119qk5CgLzy1LjT_1y1c5zL12ey9SNsKkr1Oi3KHOtUgk7Gqee8rzqELOqf7oEX2OcEGcvDcbwdkBXcmU/s320/IMG_1742.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506439209214366418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5Flcz7CwYTElj5vncpQhjNdyzPOm-OWsj1sn-K9iamOtvQSATN9VYkMLfH_p360MHPr-sBKJClJTbHy4MjDeIyZvbLhegpWb-BKgAINM_Sk4UFBG33FXrOoDad3gQBOGRQH6kVIDWA51/s1600/IMG_1746.JPG"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4qJpsmT3TEU8f0-Ah0SIHQHFGS41-gy_pLopJGj9sAnQWj5LCQbJCz_nXBdm6rvPt0XheSVLvLrMS49njPjOSkZOVmOxRWuHlvnqZXIcuPpCZQ7ggmWD94hLMp-9FYnMV0X4M2JEUbrx/s320/IMG_1757.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506438269588241890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblBpB7UlNOBEBS3QPzUhdccIDfhGebHZq7Q-9zLyJmiCIxIGv0eD0l5ksZd-iLy5exa_ZrLRGsZ50NILeOeR0eYPUCilG1VBmVNXaEtqzv-wF9QNznGH4IsM5t-ydLpiaUnaBHE8B5Bgm/s1600/IMG_1771_trim.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblBpB7UlNOBEBS3QPzUhdccIDfhGebHZq7Q-9zLyJmiCIxIGv0eD0l5ksZd-iLy5exa_ZrLRGsZ50NILeOeR0eYPUCilG1VBmVNXaEtqzv-wF9QNznGH4IsM5t-ydLpiaUnaBHE8B5Bgm/s320/IMG_1771_trim.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506438274904929874" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTek9NKbyjNB14B-nAoToQ1-tD43m_vZD4_VUZi_f4swGXxM5GrDRa24P-ky6IWJbqwZwtx0QyfG0SEsnOrpdqtslTzDgHNzc9j3-PocFXtbT3jvbPU2DIhEB8ML21Xe-XmPsiMoiMXJc4/s1600/IMG_1773.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTek9NKbyjNB14B-nAoToQ1-tD43m_vZD4_VUZi_f4swGXxM5GrDRa24P-ky6IWJbqwZwtx0QyfG0SEsnOrpdqtslTzDgHNzc9j3-PocFXtbT3jvbPU2DIhEB8ML21Xe-XmPsiMoiMXJc4/s320/IMG_1773.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506438277158954082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYd6kIadLlbZuKfNp5qNmYwTE9RRGl4VUN88OZ4vU7uMZs5U392SBGRsEV3UL1rqBnhOUg41yyzVuQBscxIvUNO6ND1ISqOherXBtCDDs6pot5NPVCIac8NB9eYvwYHmdX6SaxLrTvZyM/s1600/IMG_1777.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYd6kIadLlbZuKfNp5qNmYwTE9RRGl4VUN88OZ4vU7uMZs5U392SBGRsEV3UL1rqBnhOUg41yyzVuQBscxIvUNO6ND1ISqOherXBtCDDs6pot5NPVCIac8NB9eYvwYHmdX6SaxLrTvZyM/s320/IMG_1777.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506437353763315282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qTaZzeqy5VMasa-SnBwyafiacCRdnNShOqxjViSb-nwvbhwuC26lqUE1nX22WAiiRsoVzjbkkV9L0e68mVJoS6SqqPcmNiL7rrN5-xvrmxW7ymOv3oQyRaXJTURHsLHYc_FNGXYyOSbO/s1600/IMG_1792.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qTaZzeqy5VMasa-SnBwyafiacCRdnNShOqxjViSb-nwvbhwuC26lqUE1nX22WAiiRsoVzjbkkV9L0e68mVJoS6SqqPcmNiL7rrN5-xvrmxW7ymOv3oQyRaXJTURHsLHYc_FNGXYyOSbO/s320/IMG_1792.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506437350587880450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiae-bUtUEyAxBiyHmkL5Z1QgFcFz1Pbw3D5KTndjVqQtTfhjEjMnKC8j3Mwab4tgmlpQ1jPVD3vAY5GugEurZiPM-YwmDsv1mdrF_67_G7b72O7JTA_H4ALpNLKmHLfJq7nj6VPQhyphenhyphentg1z/s1600/IMG_1794.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiae-bUtUEyAxBiyHmkL5Z1QgFcFz1Pbw3D5KTndjVqQtTfhjEjMnKC8j3Mwab4tgmlpQ1jPVD3vAY5GugEurZiPM-YwmDsv1mdrF_67_G7b72O7JTA_H4ALpNLKmHLfJq7nj6VPQhyphenhyphentg1z/s320/IMG_1794.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506437342601555090" /></a><br /><br />On the evening of Day 3 Heather and I had our "Celebration Dinner" courtesy of UAB Hospital. The Celebration Dinner is a special three course meal for mom and a guest prepared by only the most discerning of cooks in the UAB patient kitchen. It's served on a black tray as opposed to the standard white. <br /><br />When we had the kids, Heather <a href="http://www1.uabhealth.org/UAB_TV/Video+Portal#1213763383202">delivered</a>, and the kids <a href="http://www1.uabhealth.org/UAB_TV/Video+Portal#1213763383142">stayed</a> at the old UAB facility. Everyone who delivered there was given a baby gift - either a Medala Pump-in-Style or a stroller. Since then, UAB has moved moms and babies into an incredible <a href="http://www1.uabhealth.org/UAB_WH/Women+and+Infants+Center">Women and Infants Center</a>. Three hundred dollar breast pumps don't grow on trees, you know. And if you spend a bazillion dollars on a <a href="http://www1.uabhealth.org/UAB_TV/Video+Portal#1213763383262">new facility</a>, something has to give. Hence, as I understand it, the replacement of the $300 Pump in Style with the "Celebration Dinner."<br /><br />I can say, without a doubt, that our Celebration Dinner was the best nearly warm meal I've consumed from a hospital patient kitchen. The wine pairing was an excellent choice as well: Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice - chilled in a chicken bucket. Vintage June. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDMAWr5C2AJGFNUVvkwYvbgfUoGXqcHKtI3jDwlksGCXeI4L4Z-fHLXkeYbFwllL3DH7wCs2amaiXLVARQOIoxrZ9hLf3cLVQzVIU-Si4eHoYqCiskGhJbR_pSAbh6-vSlD0s0EFka8cl/s1600/IMG_1808.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDMAWr5C2AJGFNUVvkwYvbgfUoGXqcHKtI3jDwlksGCXeI4L4Z-fHLXkeYbFwllL3DH7wCs2amaiXLVARQOIoxrZ9hLf3cLVQzVIU-Si4eHoYqCiskGhJbR_pSAbh6-vSlD0s0EFka8cl/s320/IMG_1808.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506436659003997650" /></a><br />Our bottle displayed notes of grape with subtle grape as well as hints of grape. <br /><br />OK. I'm just being picky. It was a nice touch. And, if that's the trade-off for a great new facility, I'll happily drink my chicken bucket wine in our big new room.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-35539567269950683962010-07-26T21:27:00.000-05:002010-07-26T21:27:19.129-05:00A Blueberry Trick Gone Awry<p>Henry and the girls love blueberries. The other day I gave them all a handful with their snack. Then a second handful. And then a third. <br /><br />I'm all for the kids getting plenty of food - and blueberries are as good as anything. But there's a point where I fear that their bodies just can't tolerate the quantity. So I started doling out blueberries one by one.<br /><br />Instead just handing them out, I decided to do the old "coin trick" where I palm a blueberry and then find it behind the kids' ear. The girls tolerated my tomfoolery for the purpose of getting more blueberries. Henry, on the other hand, was thrilled to learn that his head was full of blueberries and that they can be plucked endlessly from his ear.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxqWo-NJqda-kGtJPObH0ml1PIXkUaWRklQ9gV-kPk6py50hjNljryUMGiAYhgDrpHsnPN8TmM9HHNwRvW0S3Qs7ZFbD6lh-4RXnqti3EUC_nV1rZRDxas8YKzf0YUDaPSJZLCK_pJChE/s1600/IMG_1652.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxqWo-NJqda-kGtJPObH0ml1PIXkUaWRklQ9gV-kPk6py50hjNljryUMGiAYhgDrpHsnPN8TmM9HHNwRvW0S3Qs7ZFbD6lh-4RXnqti3EUC_nV1rZRDxas8YKzf0YUDaPSJZLCK_pJChE/s320/IMG_1652.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498400807864880018" /></a><br />Thrilled, that is, until they stopped coming.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNjH1rVzXqsjKmOEaYwMxdg9kGPdDjWDS33a4d8Ffmi33QW-obCKEzxFlGytOA_lWqpxF09c56n8gcqc4jCgwC2vqpNdqJjIwMD-gFBdtq1WaCkbJcnpL6eDSEygLyyZtZlKEn1PPctZj/s1600/IMG_1642.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNjH1rVzXqsjKmOEaYwMxdg9kGPdDjWDS33a4d8Ffmi33QW-obCKEzxFlGytOA_lWqpxF09c56n8gcqc4jCgwC2vqpNdqJjIwMD-gFBdtq1WaCkbJcnpL6eDSEygLyyZtZlKEn1PPctZj/s320/IMG_1642.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498399968532792290" /></a><br />He tried to get them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgT7Y_3jGQFYhqo7OrLq5JT2sEz_IY7pQQY7pQDtV-bu9rznoUKCOmsMqAklU3cvo_0H2qA33fMsTByP1Ur3tn3dCZjQWzL5sMxl-dS4q78WS-vQAIN40CPNXhJIbjHrcQXzcHO2RoxC7n/s1600/IMG_1643.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgT7Y_3jGQFYhqo7OrLq5JT2sEz_IY7pQQY7pQDtV-bu9rznoUKCOmsMqAklU3cvo_0H2qA33fMsTByP1Ur3tn3dCZjQWzL5sMxl-dS4q78WS-vQAIN40CPNXhJIbjHrcQXzcHO2RoxC7n/s320/IMG_1643.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498399964751900178" /></a><br />And tried.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEfbNMlHQ6V4krZMgYlDxDhQ1OciqvBQjdU-0QKYZ3vj8EAneyr0DGl5JhubLG-STKUaFmUUnANnK7uLlnuGQ2OQgFMGCoC_4B8roi-cRj6mpswqhvlXljZ53puyiZdHf9rBJ0WC_iJGy/s1600/IMG_1644.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEfbNMlHQ6V4krZMgYlDxDhQ1OciqvBQjdU-0QKYZ3vj8EAneyr0DGl5JhubLG-STKUaFmUUnANnK7uLlnuGQ2OQgFMGCoC_4B8roi-cRj6mpswqhvlXljZ53puyiZdHf9rBJ0WC_iJGy/s320/IMG_1644.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498399953051648210" /></a><br />And tried.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQMwJXFAxO0bnBIwV3dFQO06tltJh04r2-JaaKys_mmvEBbfwBfRPnlwvBZkiPOyAJffJekYu7y9tbdChgQB-VhTHmYaLOIN8QSFtxRFgrxp27evIia1QVVPrxQFtemmeaN1Ena803El_/s1600/IMG_1645.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQMwJXFAxO0bnBIwV3dFQO06tltJh04r2-JaaKys_mmvEBbfwBfRPnlwvBZkiPOyAJffJekYu7y9tbdChgQB-VhTHmYaLOIN8QSFtxRFgrxp27evIia1QVVPrxQFtemmeaN1Ena803El_/s320/IMG_1645.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498399950998049874" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbGrZ2QUJFZHGyyDdzlrad0ts55-Vp5_waD2U-S1YrUWNhvOxeyqxwL7Yf3s1IqSY_C2A8pXa7XMpa6StQoLqh0VBFMXcpP1e0NMy7qnvrPES-oqLnR40uAkhZZTHmaqgP9dMDu1ngEOY/s1600/IMG_1646.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbGrZ2QUJFZHGyyDdzlrad0ts55-Vp5_waD2U-S1YrUWNhvOxeyqxwL7Yf3s1IqSY_C2A8pXa7XMpa6StQoLqh0VBFMXcpP1e0NMy7qnvrPES-oqLnR40uAkhZZTHmaqgP9dMDu1ngEOY/s320/IMG_1646.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498399937912055650" /></a><br />It's sad. More funny than sad, of course. But I still feel sorry for him. Tonight I saw him pulling at his ear after we put him to bed. In a way, I feel like I violated his trust. But he is two. It's probably time he learns that his head isn't full of blueberries.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-29805869586465205252010-06-09T22:38:00.001-05:002010-06-09T22:40:58.895-05:00Cleanup on Aisle Five!<p> When I got the kids out of bed this morning and was changing diapers, I was alarmed to find that Henry's boy parts were red and puffy. Heather called the doctor and got Henry the first available appointment.<br /><br />Henry and I went to the doctor and it turns out it was just a yeast infection. I was afraid it was a flesh eating bacteria, which in this case would be a penis eating bacteria. Which would be a bit of a downer. <br /><br />We got a prescription for some yeast cream and headed for the Walgreen's. I wanted to get Henry's cream as soon as possible, so we waited for the pharmacist to put the label on the box of cream. These things take time. <br /><br />First we walked all of the aisles. Then we watched a redneck yell at his wife. And then we started getting bored.<br /><br />Henry spotted a box of clearance mop handles, sans sponge heads, and took to mopping the store. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fCEn0WLbagcMkyjrNWeYcq_yR0s2W6_l5QZjE6gapH3qJvOKy5njino5qk23GDIf1LeLyquSWgaUqA7IRWhMnf-_P6ZcAix8Va1INs5ccINxaBJ3iwfyy1v3sm08lfD8YkhMD8GBrOUg/s1600/IMG00079-20100609-1021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fCEn0WLbagcMkyjrNWeYcq_yR0s2W6_l5QZjE6gapH3qJvOKy5njino5qk23GDIf1LeLyquSWgaUqA7IRWhMnf-_P6ZcAix8Va1INs5ccINxaBJ3iwfyy1v3sm08lfD8YkhMD8GBrOUg/s320/IMG00079-20100609-1021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480861836269918514" border="0" /></a><br />He mopped.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqroeX8nwwlI029oDvjqHQ-oBKZoeLCgxoCpWvnMMSkNgjSSyX-pzj_1GApnbRSP3AH2iKmsztgsKpNkoohbrLH8jg4obagjSlyNumvF7pcgKEoEbcsYDuMj2uepepPt0Wqj_rDOqsZr3/s1600/IMG00078-20100609-1021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqroeX8nwwlI029oDvjqHQ-oBKZoeLCgxoCpWvnMMSkNgjSSyX-pzj_1GApnbRSP3AH2iKmsztgsKpNkoohbrLH8jg4obagjSlyNumvF7pcgKEoEbcsYDuMj2uepepPt0Wqj_rDOqsZr3/s320/IMG00078-20100609-1021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480861851524921346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eEj1B6mhL6LtuD9y_vRc7MD-OIOY3pY8ghAYBEXFwNQDIRmAEtT4xqcQie4sbR3AChMVCXWFJJc_2tSIeTHmhP4NpsGaQUdSLUr_ianYMBlDnelLvKZbD4Zr_UUEjshqACWh1X1-mRjQ/s1600/IMG00080-20100609-1022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eEj1B6mhL6LtuD9y_vRc7MD-OIOY3pY8ghAYBEXFwNQDIRmAEtT4xqcQie4sbR3AChMVCXWFJJc_2tSIeTHmhP4NpsGaQUdSLUr_ianYMBlDnelLvKZbD4Zr_UUEjshqACWh1X1-mRjQ/s320/IMG00080-20100609-1022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480861337647179682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXE0_vEsyPdBBT87cdwUVo0dufatWBghJAjo1ub9U4rq63jzwXGJeaLpcL-YE9OJlxp1noUR3S75xTtVoHMJHST5OMErM8oR012v5rLouQ7TUDYwU-cjzElkYAbTzND-jqNT_nI9TZqf50/s1600/IMG00081-20100609-1022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXE0_vEsyPdBBT87cdwUVo0dufatWBghJAjo1ub9U4rq63jzwXGJeaLpcL-YE9OJlxp1noUR3S75xTtVoHMJHST5OMErM8oR012v5rLouQ7TUDYwU-cjzElkYAbTzND-jqNT_nI9TZqf50/s320/IMG00081-20100609-1022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480861325146505042" border="0" /></a><br />And mopped.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12az6ULCS3sOYiYDagxCuRVLnJOEWicBJU2akzSGJhge31GG6WJViXtJorIDoN2C12d0_F2Qo8GlM3D_Q-cNhCSLtYPlrcdAdpmE8VvFEN6HDN1d11QWMWdCMyJ_gikaUxDcZBH0-BiGx/s1600/IMG00082-20100609-1022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12az6ULCS3sOYiYDagxCuRVLnJOEWicBJU2akzSGJhge31GG6WJViXtJorIDoN2C12d0_F2Qo8GlM3D_Q-cNhCSLtYPlrcdAdpmE8VvFEN6HDN1d11QWMWdCMyJ_gikaUxDcZBH0-BiGx/s320/IMG00082-20100609-1022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480861291320624498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjogpAgpCK1iqNb4_aDntx20RKMJrBKxmg9JAm-w1n0j9NJtWZEOiHg9aj9dfE_flyIGoHnN3SrZOGPn6hA7KevrCDbZAPcC2YfDQaKzZmJ7CHeLwtQZCA36cAjVqlln0G-jURyCm-_lW/s1600/IMG00083-20100609-1022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjogpAgpCK1iqNb4_aDntx20RKMJrBKxmg9JAm-w1n0j9NJtWZEOiHg9aj9dfE_flyIGoHnN3SrZOGPn6hA7KevrCDbZAPcC2YfDQaKzZmJ7CHeLwtQZCA36cAjVqlln0G-jURyCm-_lW/s320/IMG00083-20100609-1022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480861268985581106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJG3bs7NkO9AtV43gvbQFYL2xoWD8B8zzws6u6Ea5_0vvf0usZKivVOXjFmbEmS-wb45H0vl0AOG1dhLGVJcR5QMr6fl9mQNUpn4pUeYAMps34PoLvqmbV172OYCQNbsEteNDixZJGDUnJ/s1600/IMG00084-20100609-1023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJG3bs7NkO9AtV43gvbQFYL2xoWD8B8zzws6u6Ea5_0vvf0usZKivVOXjFmbEmS-wb45H0vl0AOG1dhLGVJcR5QMr6fl9mQNUpn4pUeYAMps34PoLvqmbV172OYCQNbsEteNDixZJGDUnJ/s320/IMG00084-20100609-1023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860796641131346" border="0" /></a><br />And mopped.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZr1A4UTsTR5ib0hJBHpvk3NYiWL2-iEP7mQTJCG53vVWPNcc1vadx83cez-rAlBu0-lY7Xvv-m-wm0zDIANPqr01TUA-x5H0IIL1mKK6_AHroqXJLxeiAs8WWoloZDOYfUCfqVMpDPsC/s1600/IMG00085-20100609-1023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZr1A4UTsTR5ib0hJBHpvk3NYiWL2-iEP7mQTJCG53vVWPNcc1vadx83cez-rAlBu0-lY7Xvv-m-wm0zDIANPqr01TUA-x5H0IIL1mKK6_AHroqXJLxeiAs8WWoloZDOYfUCfqVMpDPsC/s320/IMG00085-20100609-1023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860781487135778" border="0" /></a><br />Watched the angry redneck some more.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJw25RYZ_LYePOqSVnNlwzVwXn9FExW49iRx-pnb7R4Eem342vMupwZoN6PiBAqtFQEs80lbevCR9qnsa-DS7OSD0BSRgkDUJUY4nYP9j1zfVoIr-HJJteXtdZBz4h78a01ADcGwV7D1hS/s1600/IMG00086-20100609-1024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJw25RYZ_LYePOqSVnNlwzVwXn9FExW49iRx-pnb7R4Eem342vMupwZoN6PiBAqtFQEs80lbevCR9qnsa-DS7OSD0BSRgkDUJUY4nYP9j1zfVoIr-HJJteXtdZBz4h78a01ADcGwV7D1hS/s320/IMG00086-20100609-1024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860766920405106" border="0" /></a><br />. . . continued mopping.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jW8SHDFLG4rFCBRanUPupq4YV-1zHTzByiZp-GA042jS5RiOoV8dBa3JNM_p8Glr31UsCC3jzDBHIlR3l10mT_vRlOc2TQyoqLr3WIZATYNNcbNAuYbPuNwYwdt8PzyS_OsSZUtlRGHC/s1600/IMG00087-20100609-1024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jW8SHDFLG4rFCBRanUPupq4YV-1zHTzByiZp-GA042jS5RiOoV8dBa3JNM_p8Glr31UsCC3jzDBHIlR3l10mT_vRlOc2TQyoqLr3WIZATYNNcbNAuYbPuNwYwdt8PzyS_OsSZUtlRGHC/s320/IMG00087-20100609-1024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860758545689666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xIz5I-yFdVwZT-sGdZFE_sVlO-HdvZL-gwv5eI1RQdXRYRs2hOMSTjzbze36YsbubaSQN9MkxmVPEYsYWNHix_mqnxYof1U4izNJVmcWGQ9hRePk1C1tFL4FTzbFuEY5k3toHy-QVc69/s1600/IMG00088-20100609-1024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xIz5I-yFdVwZT-sGdZFE_sVlO-HdvZL-gwv5eI1RQdXRYRs2hOMSTjzbze36YsbubaSQN9MkxmVPEYsYWNHix_mqnxYof1U4izNJVmcWGQ9hRePk1C1tFL4FTzbFuEY5k3toHy-QVc69/s320/IMG00088-20100609-1024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860736877906994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRNYDGC76PMDKIuWkRsOFW3-CC4AUXnbOeNUTBDYqlixkBr8-yxQw0kSWXIQROmUtI24KjpUrbe3Wr0RE4G5EtkligbQk7qVMgGNousBNvjSX2B8sz6tIXWPlMFHS-Pr5tTTP49ZjXF6F/s1600/IMG00089-20100609-1025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRNYDGC76PMDKIuWkRsOFW3-CC4AUXnbOeNUTBDYqlixkBr8-yxQw0kSWXIQROmUtI24KjpUrbe3Wr0RE4G5EtkligbQk7qVMgGNousBNvjSX2B8sz6tIXWPlMFHS-Pr5tTTP49ZjXF6F/s320/IMG00089-20100609-1025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860323877595298" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUUoP61KYyFf34CcRcGdgkTHyWSgIlmYcKnuMzRKD9CjnasokPmDXCpqeP8AZN6U4Ep91asStLGB4mKumNN9zt5k8xfQ_487jNYVD6m3GEEvvgbhC17O8K3bO5q8CXT-Lk_JZmxI-RJir/s1600/IMG00090-20100609-1025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUUoP61KYyFf34CcRcGdgkTHyWSgIlmYcKnuMzRKD9CjnasokPmDXCpqeP8AZN6U4Ep91asStLGB4mKumNN9zt5k8xfQ_487jNYVD6m3GEEvvgbhC17O8K3bO5q8CXT-Lk_JZmxI-RJir/s320/IMG00090-20100609-1025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860314354548274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_wX-IuiPp1l254zVk_bgjWltiLvuoZR_5zXoV2IrnL0S2TU3GjTEhy1DKT7rIDvzu-xGqI6Qh2zZ3WU2Ffp3C3m4ab97F9KxNEO8bbwobstDbPLZc2sAjv9i-TknH3QX9J-WRMxNAvMA/s1600/IMG00091-20100609-1025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_wX-IuiPp1l254zVk_bgjWltiLvuoZR_5zXoV2IrnL0S2TU3GjTEhy1DKT7rIDvzu-xGqI6Qh2zZ3WU2Ffp3C3m4ab97F9KxNEO8bbwobstDbPLZc2sAjv9i-TknH3QX9J-WRMxNAvMA/s320/IMG00091-20100609-1025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860301842469170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEyrLUyt0kRGvvBoqR6Ec66gHzZeIROJnq5keEBh4XDWfKU2O8JvDqMZDCQtcH3HgaHEX1O6W4bF1bYIhWfxpedAAs4Qthuv94PnH0OFm1jdp08OlN7yJyxcHKB1o793A_mkm_HCerJ3A/s1600/IMG00092-20100609-1026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEyrLUyt0kRGvvBoqR6Ec66gHzZeIROJnq5keEBh4XDWfKU2O8JvDqMZDCQtcH3HgaHEX1O6W4bF1bYIhWfxpedAAs4Qthuv94PnH0OFm1jdp08OlN7yJyxcHKB1o793A_mkm_HCerJ3A/s320/IMG00092-20100609-1026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860292999834642" border="0" /></a><br />And then they called us back to get the ointment, with the label meticulously affixed to the box. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5oo7mpOq8o0KnPnEIghEytGBV-gtWpD2dpSxRaysxVuDx5gB1uesOuGLzgmec66zpjBXrjPjmGOusLw2slps6kxZx8KlkOTekwr7m08wuB4afUb97oKr7F6ZIaYHu2C_0umqQyqsnwng/s1600/IMG00093-20100609-1027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5oo7mpOq8o0KnPnEIghEytGBV-gtWpD2dpSxRaysxVuDx5gB1uesOuGLzgmec66zpjBXrjPjmGOusLw2slps6kxZx8KlkOTekwr7m08wuB4afUb97oKr7F6ZIaYHu2C_0umqQyqsnwng/s320/IMG00093-20100609-1027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480860278241306130" border="0" /></a><br />If anyone in that store thought I would not let my son fake-mop all the floors in the Walgreen's while I followed him around taking pictures with my Blackberry, they were mistaken.</p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-9796191420424790002010-05-21T06:53:00.000-05:002010-05-21T08:35:41.003-05:00Rodents, Pea Pods, New Room, Etc.<p>It's been a while since my last post, so I have a lot to cover. <br /><br />1. No new wild animals have been spotted in the yard in addition to the raccoon and the possum. We've had a total of two dead critters (hunted and killed by cats I presume) on our doorsteps: one bird on the front door mat and one mouse on the back door mat. Other than nearly stepping on the rotting corpse of a mouse, I couldn't be happier about the death of the rodent. Francesca and Thurston are pulling their weight. Cat(s) 1, Mice 1. They did let that one mouse in the house, of course.<br /><br />2. During the remodel, we were down a few days on the upstairs AC. The kids got to spend some quality time in their pea pod tents - napping in our bedroom during the day and sleeping in the living room at night. Shockingly, the AC man was unable to replace an entire AC system and install new duct work to the new room, and make it functional, in one day. I sort of saw that one coming. <br /><br />Henry "banged" his little head against the wall of the tent one night and scooted himself clear out of the living room. This is how we found him in the morning:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKxFLGAbiC6kLlSQUMusKsCXiBi1Hk_9hJhyjt7Nw62Tu7uhx8JoAACfuNNITlZUu30D-H5Sfg2E4Dr-VBd6G-Uo3MfgA1cYEoYvxACnKL1XNqdwI2s-xdv4AoIbhaV5ZjaqSPtjFnpNj/s1600/IMG_1379.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKxFLGAbiC6kLlSQUMusKsCXiBi1Hk_9hJhyjt7Nw62Tu7uhx8JoAACfuNNITlZUu30D-H5Sfg2E4Dr-VBd6G-Uo3MfgA1cYEoYvxACnKL1XNqdwI2s-xdv4AoIbhaV5ZjaqSPtjFnpNj/s320/IMG_1379.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473529656205896178" /></a><br />3. The room is done. If my camera had the ability to reproduce colors with any degree of accuracy, you would see that the room is pale green and the bathroom is slightly less pale green.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRRMRijb8IXQZ3UZS9wrqt90z0hAxUSmlWZwm9B8BQBjNgblHg_uMa3cUtSDnlyuyOmztc7hVbj9spHGdXEXuf6iPwIytfIzyD4Rn2vd1bBKWbUO6k3Snuw4FgX9kGd90ZElDk-zDNLmC/s1600/IMG_1381.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRRMRijb8IXQZ3UZS9wrqt90z0hAxUSmlWZwm9B8BQBjNgblHg_uMa3cUtSDnlyuyOmztc7hVbj9spHGdXEXuf6iPwIytfIzyD4Rn2vd1bBKWbUO6k3Snuw4FgX9kGd90ZElDk-zDNLmC/s320/IMG_1381.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473529680897279698" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9wzOvGW-DVC_qxd42I8p8CoUycVr6kN4skh6gTyF3PdRCefKbd50wvosAOT2SFrP-f3aNDaD0qkiSeKwzSwyvLwxd86sGT9UPz4Dlk4lyFoh6ZdxSfSf2HkufUr-dDF8HM3c5tH7w0HX/s1600/IMG_1380.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9wzOvGW-DVC_qxd42I8p8CoUycVr6kN4skh6gTyF3PdRCefKbd50wvosAOT2SFrP-f3aNDaD0qkiSeKwzSwyvLwxd86sGT9UPz4Dlk4lyFoh6ZdxSfSf2HkufUr-dDF8HM3c5tH7w0HX/s320/IMG_1380.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473529672652126178" /></a><br /><br />The picture of the closet is a semi-accurate representation of the room color:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8L7bvN7QC3BA_h-kN_z4a6JKqyFho3W2UH2pGSIfPEkPsueVl3tKBZOEPZCFaToE0ZJmKbS9GrmFTr5JsP7HmA-kmE08qr0lWNTNuJIKZ1v6tRebcLVucXfjErkClviQHhhx-K2MgENr/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8L7bvN7QC3BA_h-kN_z4a6JKqyFho3W2UH2pGSIfPEkPsueVl3tKBZOEPZCFaToE0ZJmKbS9GrmFTr5JsP7HmA-kmE08qr0lWNTNuJIKZ1v6tRebcLVucXfjErkClviQHhhx-K2MgENr/s320/IMG_1382.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473530525462912146" /></a><br />The bathroom:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQtjLQtO_bf57_kN8Pz1ABHnf7v4uREoTMTpG0RvW-98LYk0_aAOlb8h1t9UEfz3T_wjtbuCt0PloBhE3RnqUapBA_oHxrKQpAx_bH5kqjqqzeG98RP2_qbCB2R6CmHzeTExaVeEza4-W/s1600/IMG_1385.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQtjLQtO_bf57_kN8Pz1ABHnf7v4uREoTMTpG0RvW-98LYk0_aAOlb8h1t9UEfz3T_wjtbuCt0PloBhE3RnqUapBA_oHxrKQpAx_bH5kqjqqzeG98RP2_qbCB2R6CmHzeTExaVeEza4-W/s320/IMG_1385.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473530552964525842" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDjIGjdOstJqd4subgyxzt2fJBVW67ajeqykoZHa30SqrIirK04JD87nacQZiLxYGTuoAGOY84zGVPkY9zq1FurejR2pwkq4eHVGADp3II8T_9IJNBLaaxf6HmgTPzbSdzdemwDqa_jUW/s1600/IMG_1386.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDjIGjdOstJqd4subgyxzt2fJBVW67ajeqykoZHa30SqrIirK04JD87nacQZiLxYGTuoAGOY84zGVPkY9zq1FurejR2pwkq4eHVGADp3II8T_9IJNBLaaxf6HmgTPzbSdzdemwDqa_jUW/s320/IMG_1386.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473530561582620642" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9-_NwtqtajwX-x3h0I4ICiWMh7uV9eP9h970jC8i72bBPXEE0oMLGPxK6QXvAs606j3-a_ZEeqDWgkaQXNBp7XE3Zxf-OD6giSmMs-OftvwWKJILvRGp-vopblzlMgHDF9lCDkbKheLF/s1600/IMG_1383.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9-_NwtqtajwX-x3h0I4ICiWMh7uV9eP9h970jC8i72bBPXEE0oMLGPxK6QXvAs606j3-a_ZEeqDWgkaQXNBp7XE3Zxf-OD6giSmMs-OftvwWKJILvRGp-vopblzlMgHDF9lCDkbKheLF/s320/IMG_1383.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473530541339750258" /></a><br />From the entrance to the room:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTElIei3NJXwUDYbNSDyv3uihIRPyIrR_zCBdG1B25FQhh0lYcx9X187W5en1jBCelFW2RwibNUJPhnX78NEunU1r04t51cNGACeimW5L4-v_ZlBfifY6H-r0l9ECW8ClTXy9WPiIBAYLc/s1600/IMG_1389.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTElIei3NJXwUDYbNSDyv3uihIRPyIrR_zCBdG1B25FQhh0lYcx9X187W5en1jBCelFW2RwibNUJPhnX78NEunU1r04t51cNGACeimW5L4-v_ZlBfifY6H-r0l9ECW8ClTXy9WPiIBAYLc/s320/IMG_1389.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473531460567287346" /></a><br /><br />Well, it's mostly done. We have one detail left to fix. There was a little confusion about what I meant when I said that I didn't want shiny chrome bathroom fixtures. My statement was interpreted to mean that I yearned to have someone search the four corners of the earth to find the largest and shiniest bathroom fixtures available and have those installed in the room. <br /><br />The plumber replaced the bumper-chrome sink faucets that were initially installed with these snazzy little brushed stainless numbers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZyetENtZirR9OCX1hosBsXxD5Dvo77JWUjgLKVzNH8NSEb9JveISf1tVs3OaD6XxbNq1xfccearLsOs07JuTDU4yYsQ0piSuUI24iejRhr4nrgg034h4OD5DXD0buvxqDdKojUmrg8Cx/s1600/IMG_1387.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZyetENtZirR9OCX1hosBsXxD5Dvo77JWUjgLKVzNH8NSEb9JveISf1tVs3OaD6XxbNq1xfccearLsOs07JuTDU4yYsQ0piSuUI24iejRhr4nrgg034h4OD5DXD0buvxqDdKojUmrg8Cx/s320/IMG_1387.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473540620870775506" /></a><br />We are waiting for the brushed stainless versions of the the shower fixtures to come in.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMLE7jSq2HiX-5ym7MdF3QqxH99BPZlWwJxnkSsX8xb0JZmI8m5nrTgxfM467VU67wZxZLVXFXbUYhV3sG6x6gEELkU_zHXKQ9o0M5-aGShmznWjC5NDfDrJudw60AwkGTPOA_rEZF6GO/s1600/IMG_1388.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMLE7jSq2HiX-5ym7MdF3QqxH99BPZlWwJxnkSsX8xb0JZmI8m5nrTgxfM467VU67wZxZLVXFXbUYhV3sG6x6gEELkU_zHXKQ9o0M5-aGShmznWjC5NDfDrJudw60AwkGTPOA_rEZF6GO/s320/IMG_1388.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473531459927822370" /></a><br />(there's a bigger difference in person - I swear)<br /><br />I'm moving the kids into the new room this weekend. My plan is to begin disassembling cribs first thing on Saturday morning and having them put back together in the new room by nap time after lunch. The rest of the new room should take shape by the end of the weekend.<br /> <br />4. Heather is still gestating little Penelope and is 28 weeks today. Her pregnancy hasn't been the walk in the park I had hoped for. She's had to take a few visits to the hospital and stayed overnight on Monday, but she is not having pre-term labor - which is good. During her pregnancy with the kids, we had cake with candles in her hospital room where she had already been for five weeks when she made it to 28 weeks. So, even though this pregnancy isn't completely uneventful, I can only be thankful to be where we are.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-35739173460068905072010-04-28T21:52:00.003-05:002010-04-28T21:54:40.341-05:00Room Stuff and a Possum<p>The kids' new room is mostly painted and we have tile in the bathroom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7n5M96q9kg3Tk8z1HRu_3hkhywvnNdAqFmZexpCgmancI_P_Em_M_l9rJfHC3fNP0Alz56pR8DPjV7uTA51N1GpExCbGNcCIvWrAs1rPzlMsP2TJAki8XlRe8PUt7kZjmC1LnrlBKDED/s1600/IMG_1331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7n5M96q9kg3Tk8z1HRu_3hkhywvnNdAqFmZexpCgmancI_P_Em_M_l9rJfHC3fNP0Alz56pR8DPjV7uTA51N1GpExCbGNcCIvWrAs1rPzlMsP2TJAki8XlRe8PUt7kZjmC1LnrlBKDED/s320/IMG_1331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465022589490126034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_wiekChuTK0F0Z8Y88OsolaCbNulECkJlzn10K_4lYIbG8fWh_HFwHMKPDJNeUw78b67c_HENPQQX_1BEOe6d0t6Sz1gMdAhsLIOMSsIbM2USMkZwoA7c1rmsfJe2Jn5XTg0-67HtKMy/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_wiekChuTK0F0Z8Y88OsolaCbNulECkJlzn10K_4lYIbG8fWh_HFwHMKPDJNeUw78b67c_HENPQQX_1BEOe6d0t6Sz1gMdAhsLIOMSsIbM2USMkZwoA7c1rmsfJe2Jn5XTg0-67HtKMy/s320/IMG_1329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465022600280412034" border="0" /></a><br />We are waiting on the bathroom vanity and vanity top. Heather and I picked it out a couple weeks ago and the bathroom vanity elves have been working feverishly ever since. I picked out the vanity top at the vanity top place, which, strangely enough, is not the same place as the vanity base place. I picked out a medium beige vanity top and picked dark beige distressed vanity base out of the vanity base book to go with it. Bill the builder suggested that we stay in the neutral color range for the permanent installations, so we could switch paint color at the whim of the girls. That left us with beige, beige, beige and beige of varying shades and finishes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVrmOCGXFgH4aoDDoPX78IDfLDPNZVVWd0fWzeh0Vq9-CSFYEL8AILg11A7pD0MIBnrbYNbSsE2rcfY1h5gv1R5GAsfKCDRc-fy6HispKQ3DWtfJWyLZC3xPJJBRge40uoLTWVOxRlH3l/s1600/IMG_1346.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVrmOCGXFgH4aoDDoPX78IDfLDPNZVVWd0fWzeh0Vq9-CSFYEL8AILg11A7pD0MIBnrbYNbSsE2rcfY1h5gv1R5GAsfKCDRc-fy6HispKQ3DWtfJWyLZC3xPJJBRge40uoLTWVOxRlH3l/s320/IMG_1346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465022595846546514" border="0" /></a><br />I sent Heather to the vanity base place with the option to pick a shade lighter beige vanity base, but not the really light beige, because that looked all wrong with the medium beige top. Heather went wild and picked the light beige vanity base anyway, causing us to scramble and switch shades of beige for the vanity top to match the light beige base with dark beige accents.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCdSgi16nCk1_eEulBuRIKFeJqk5SaYmVph3ts6WGotB0Jvd9UeYqlQ45nTLn9IipGSuMmoW3CW7rQM1hYs93l10sSHqchJYWZNodMm2aUNN9gTaJiSzOuhxDUE4Npls2AnFiB6R0T1BH/s1600/IMG_1341(1).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCdSgi16nCk1_eEulBuRIKFeJqk5SaYmVph3ts6WGotB0Jvd9UeYqlQ45nTLn9IipGSuMmoW3CW7rQM1hYs93l10sSHqchJYWZNodMm2aUNN9gTaJiSzOuhxDUE4Npls2AnFiB6R0T1BH/s320/IMG_1341(1).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465022603194770162" border="0" /></a><br />She was playing with fire, but I think we avoided disaster. That would be a fawn beige vanity top and a biscotti with cocoa glaze vanity base, for your records. I know my beige. In hindsight, I could have just let her do it in the first place and skipped the lesson in shades of beige. <br /><br />I cleaned out the attic and we are set to have the upstairs air conditioning unit replaced with a bigger one. This will involve at least one nap downstairs for the kids, and my guess is that something completely unforeseeable will happen with the HVAC contractor causing us to have the kids downstairs for a couple days. We are ready with the pea pod tents in the bedroom and on standby for the AC man to come dismantle our upstairs air conditioner.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOLVc873jwjR7QUE-h2higGY9tJChP9ZJ7cT8NDnFMfvwov3Abiv954ViOITMaFEATlKs55WP1RVqli-HrE6tscaHiZ0DXMM2zzvfuVaAOdpqyJbRb-OvQGj7L8f7aaGT_WNFDFxVRZux/s1600/IMG_1311.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOLVc873jwjR7QUE-h2higGY9tJChP9ZJ7cT8NDnFMfvwov3Abiv954ViOITMaFEATlKs55WP1RVqli-HrE6tscaHiZ0DXMM2zzvfuVaAOdpqyJbRb-OvQGj7L8f7aaGT_WNFDFxVRZux/s320/IMG_1311.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465022610584606002" border="0" /></a><br />He seems like he knows what he's doing, but when he says he can switch out an inside air handler, outside unit and replace most of the duct work in one day, I have my doubts. It just seems like a lot to do in one day. Good thing we have the pea pods.<br /><br />We also have a possum. In addition to the raccoon, we have a possum now. I took the cat food off the back porch and put it next to the garage. I've been putting the food inside the garage before I go to bed to cut down on the critter herd. When I walked to the front door to put the food inside the other night, I found a possum eating the cat food.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnttY0dwyEc8Mx4WzhsDy1SNoRKZsPuTG3SVhAbZl5hL_JpFWxi4iK4seO-q9xoD5xnCQaJ5y0ou5sxd-8uqRRaInEZgz8dOs5JBFn6c50Acq2QDRgBqMr7O-WsMUdLOdZ8Ifbc2rQP3v/s1600/IMG_1310.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnttY0dwyEc8Mx4WzhsDy1SNoRKZsPuTG3SVhAbZl5hL_JpFWxi4iK4seO-q9xoD5xnCQaJ5y0ou5sxd-8uqRRaInEZgz8dOs5JBFn6c50Acq2QDRgBqMr7O-WsMUdLOdZ8Ifbc2rQP3v/s320/IMG_1310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465023677874390594" border="0" /></a><br />Nice tail. Yuk. <br /><br />I know it's spelled opossum, but I'm not down with the silent "o." I say possum; I'll spell it possum. Possum. Possum. Looks right. <br /><br />Possum.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-23456494504218478672010-04-18T21:03:00.000-05:002010-04-18T21:03:27.229-05:00Kangaroo Climber Update<p>The Step 2 Kangaroo Climber is not <a href="http://baldguyinplaidpants.blogspot.com/2009/11/most-dangerous-toy-ever.html">The Most Dangerous Toy Ever</a>. I was wrong. The toy is just a little deceptive in that it looks like it's made for small kids - - because it's really small. Our crew just didn't have the coordination to handle it the first time.<br /><br />I set it back up a couple months ago. I didn't break out the video camera, or a camera at all for that matter. The first time you capture video of all three of your kids taking headers off a Kangaroo Climber, it's called funny. The second time you do it, it's called Exhibits A, B and C in your administrative hearing before Child Protective Services.<br /><br />I've declared it safe for use - and accordingly safe to photograph.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Gw8whUnZtzplmUzA3iDn9QfMGAJZ0B9Z2hqKRNy52FLH0Rerg_w0we_YFOe2xERmXOWTImAUgWlqMehgbDamBFrHbpUsUC7cJaJ6uLowX1_rmA9ZEl4ZvcqMz3I3pXktRPCNw5Yjs7KC/s1600/IMG_1264.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Gw8whUnZtzplmUzA3iDn9QfMGAJZ0B9Z2hqKRNy52FLH0Rerg_w0we_YFOe2xERmXOWTImAUgWlqMehgbDamBFrHbpUsUC7cJaJ6uLowX1_rmA9ZEl4ZvcqMz3I3pXktRPCNw5Yjs7KC/s320/IMG_1264.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459824181520341810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98Hs0tTFM1Tzsi3M3rtyhKuInTvB7dLKr5WQRnCrjuzuuleGwme3lcY8-JyapR5eQgMhhUTRgEUkqkW0kjdW2pFurmBvqugugaEdh6vK01yzqN8Tur8T8gFjQfN8dCaxjuxq8-8UoLh5_/s1600/IMG_1261.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98Hs0tTFM1Tzsi3M3rtyhKuInTvB7dLKr5WQRnCrjuzuuleGwme3lcY8-JyapR5eQgMhhUTRgEUkqkW0kjdW2pFurmBvqugugaEdh6vK01yzqN8Tur8T8gFjQfN8dCaxjuxq8-8UoLh5_/s320/IMG_1261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459824176193949618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EILgitbnZGY_xBf3qT87Tm1x1G6CS0mfZ0vn66TiKw3uzC1-8rZxuQK2Dn1NhwTyUi6K2kjNSRYwwwi0XTc3s2rL7Bf61Dn8jg6HB97ymGdTLlSStiIFDDR0yS17yCWNgDzUDUj0ltt9/s1600/IMG_1257.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EILgitbnZGY_xBf3qT87Tm1x1G6CS0mfZ0vn66TiKw3uzC1-8rZxuQK2Dn1NhwTyUi6K2kjNSRYwwwi0XTc3s2rL7Bf61Dn8jg6HB97ymGdTLlSStiIFDDR0yS17yCWNgDzUDUj0ltt9/s320/IMG_1257.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459824163705898306" border="0" /></a><br />Step 2 says it's good for an 18 month old. For our kids, ages 19 or 20 months was about right for the climber. They have it mastered at 22 months. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2WtWyjLZqOA6xrjtSwkd0i9jj9P9nZ1ysi8LXvXvRNHdKkK_lGDKo69YXVcv0hsfEcU2ow9brC831itfbZtFhyphenhyphentTBobaHy4Us-CHt6Q1fuAL_rdwuvj-BfcfYOMaKFOEpRYyGVNCJ3Se/s1600/IMG_1258.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2WtWyjLZqOA6xrjtSwkd0i9jj9P9nZ1ysi8LXvXvRNHdKkK_lGDKo69YXVcv0hsfEcU2ow9brC831itfbZtFhyphenhyphentTBobaHy4Us-CHt6Q1fuAL_rdwuvj-BfcfYOMaKFOEpRYyGVNCJ3Se/s320/IMG_1258.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459825023964989714" /></a><br />We misjudged that one, but I still laugh at the videos. </p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-66113703662823288522010-04-14T22:16:00.001-05:002010-04-15T09:32:24.942-05:00Cat Watch - Day 121<p>The last few nights I've woken up to Francesca and Thurston's feeder being tumped over. I pick it up, refill it, then it happens again. The last time I did it, I left the cat food bag outside so I wouldn't have to carry it from the garage to the back porch every morning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSSVa5dy3S_o-ZNd3DSSu6Z2atfQBeG0h1Wc35Bewb9LBiXODp0g9Sn6M60a6QFABXAjFWxE8WljGQ2jEBNMbYhEJQzh8yU77h_gk-tOkRrOg42WZahPw8qDxzpQ_24W_Z-7vS48nQ9C1/s1600/IMG_1278.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSSVa5dy3S_o-ZNd3DSSu6Z2atfQBeG0h1Wc35Bewb9LBiXODp0g9Sn6M60a6QFABXAjFWxE8WljGQ2jEBNMbYhEJQzh8yU77h_gk-tOkRrOg42WZahPw8qDxzpQ_24W_Z-7vS48nQ9C1/s320/IMG_1278.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459814423577372402" border="0" /></a><br />I figured one of the cats turned crazy and decided to tump it over. Cats are unstable. No surprise. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O3s5r7LApPoNsvUH3zMoH7-UjOyFHNWGFWXO5p0Fl65MSgWBE0cGKjkiu1WdItQXCT3FTxVjt5Sj_iDrLlyFbF7iXuCVGaC2UmtYw6mf7CCmOBnuZFRkPTOIM8zBldUd5X6wPJSIYlWK/s1600/IMG_1277.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O3s5r7LApPoNsvUH3zMoH7-UjOyFHNWGFWXO5p0Fl65MSgWBE0cGKjkiu1WdItQXCT3FTxVjt5Sj_iDrLlyFbF7iXuCVGaC2UmtYw6mf7CCmOBnuZFRkPTOIM8zBldUd5X6wPJSIYlWK/s320/IMG_1277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459814426438361890" border="0" /></a><br />Last night, while Heather and I were watching Lost, I heard a ruckus on the back porch. I got up to discover that we were being victimized by an intruder.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRqdvuzYYYf62Feeywi0kj8ucCls04hlIqA1kRErwjtBqosirs87LLyQNs0Whz6fOfK-VEANiQhopAECItPYotIm1p-GVrwkPJgQWxzk_rKcwo9g4o-EwbF7YKcBnsHRdoMY3PrJ83Kog/s1600/IMG_1267.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRqdvuzYYYf62Feeywi0kj8ucCls04hlIqA1kRErwjtBqosirs87LLyQNs0Whz6fOfK-VEANiQhopAECItPYotIm1p-GVrwkPJgQWxzk_rKcwo9g4o-EwbF7YKcBnsHRdoMY3PrJ83Kog/s320/IMG_1267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459815741958324370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOI_gP6m2nhXAjhGN4XaUs2yJv821YIc6cQO4ZaFiSf8KcmdGwgbI60NSrN0kZhoP3Mf1ohiOSydZAiNNOq3-EF7xFge6BQpOujGex2C3fSOOovsqlIRXgmy51ReS-BZ36y2bg7h_plGad/s1600/IMG_1271.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOI_gP6m2nhXAjhGN4XaUs2yJv821YIc6cQO4ZaFiSf8KcmdGwgbI60NSrN0kZhoP3Mf1ohiOSydZAiNNOq3-EF7xFge6BQpOujGex2C3fSOOovsqlIRXgmy51ReS-BZ36y2bg7h_plGad/s320/IMG_1271.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459815738541311522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-QBtT2A-SnRYdiFBpF7akjsWJg2xtgW8K8j-PcBoayS1inb4IPAEwxD22dU3lQnCrvAXOWZMlYcwAWVbE46pLLgyhyphenhyphenXs0JdTMDc-kj0cpvxNO3eBaJNtaPWPwbIfwKjlMctUWFJ6PrvV/s1600/Cartman.htm"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 317px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-QBtT2A-SnRYdiFBpF7akjsWJg2xtgW8K8j-PcBoayS1inb4IPAEwxD22dU3lQnCrvAXOWZMlYcwAWVbE46pLLgyhyphenhyphenXs0JdTMDc-kj0cpvxNO3eBaJNtaPWPwbIfwKjlMctUWFJ6PrvV/s320/Cartman.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459814414303795762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wgfXlsi-tT1CNrD6vEQeXKnTSD-Pgywx-9clG8QaBZGqLOW-Q1I-DHAHnxI2ZuyJlT8-EJb8tCUdw57tLX6wla4RNviBfpk-ZfdzNbqUymaZeBi7Bxxo4qzqF5eN6K3ADQOWzhhJyXTQ/s1600/IMG_1274.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wgfXlsi-tT1CNrD6vEQeXKnTSD-Pgywx-9clG8QaBZGqLOW-Q1I-DHAHnxI2ZuyJlT8-EJb8tCUdw57tLX6wla4RNviBfpk-ZfdzNbqUymaZeBi7Bxxo4qzqF5eN6K3ADQOWzhhJyXTQ/s320/IMG_1274.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459815728990884850" border="0" /></a><br />One of those is the police sketch of the intruder, not the actual raccoon. <br /><br />Under the theory of you feed it - you name it, I get to name him or her now. So far, I've just yelled "git!" at it. I don't think I really want to have a pet raccoon anyway. Having another cat to feed was fine, but this guy has an incredible metabolism. He eats a ton. One raccoon equals at least five cats. I would imagine the cats aren't thrilled with the company of a wild animal either. I could call in a professional, but if the Critter Getters charge <a href="http://baldguyinplaidpants.blogspot.com/2010/01/cat-watch-day-27.html">$285</a> to remove a mouse, I doubt I can afford to hire a raccoon wrangler. <br /><br />Four months ago, Francesca was living the good life of an inside cat; now she competes for food with this scrappy beast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoO30ZQFb9QiPzUmVJ2hBDm0givtXiOSwRGsXiak0qHPSAN3IA8O6Xb08EDG3g3Qtz_m_NUy-HTQJJMWbNzh58Ss-WShpPNiTCT0Y-DQX09iWpOrYoJ_DQAE3y6OPzWsMK-0uGlpe33Z7/s1600/IMG_1275.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoO30ZQFb9QiPzUmVJ2hBDm0givtXiOSwRGsXiak0qHPSAN3IA8O6Xb08EDG3g3Qtz_m_NUy-HTQJJMWbNzh58Ss-WShpPNiTCT0Y-DQX09iWpOrYoJ_DQAE3y6OPzWsMK-0uGlpe33Z7/s320/IMG_1275.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459814434827815586" border="0" /></a><br />It's a long way down for our little house kitty. </p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-28899381592616174652010-04-13T22:23:00.000-05:002010-04-13T22:24:44.263-05:00Meet the Judgers<p>Hi. We're the Judgers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpP3e2OWpS8QJq5OzamBcLvWOeN6qmCQHCpq8PuTA2Rs5C_RJWxvVsTtIhftw6cjbx7GZKFjrPCFKCHJLMaOnnIs_37D12Y8nwruIV-_-1YykDBZjkqNUNxmzGPEDQWFQ-0vGCbHQGWa28/s1600/IMG_1129.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpP3e2OWpS8QJq5OzamBcLvWOeN6qmCQHCpq8PuTA2Rs5C_RJWxvVsTtIhftw6cjbx7GZKFjrPCFKCHJLMaOnnIs_37D12Y8nwruIV-_-1YykDBZjkqNUNxmzGPEDQWFQ-0vGCbHQGWa28/s320/IMG_1129.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454246400974054338" /></a> <br />Mr. and Mrs. Judger to be precise. <br /><br />We met while backpacking through Europe. We've been married for almost two years. No kids yet. Maybe we will; maybe we won't. We don't want to tie ourselves down yet, you know. We enjoy sipping coffee during the day and sipping white wine at night. And walks. We like walks. Just the two of us, hand in hand. Listening to the birds chirping and the breeze blowing through the leaves. <br /><br />Our favourite place to walk is Aldridge Gardens. We spell favourite like that because we've been to England. We spell colour like this, in case you were wondering. Where were we? Oh yes, the gardens. Aldridge Gardens is so peaceful and serene. We spend hours there almost every weekend. It reminds us of some of the parks around London. We've been to London. Have you? You should go. <br /><br />The only problem we have with Aldridge Gardens is this obnoxious couple and their three kids. They pollute the gardens with their presence more often than not. When we walk towards them on the trail, they only move their four foot wide stroller off to one side about half way, leaving us cramped into using only three feet of trail. The dad tries to smile at us, but we don't make eye contact with him. It only encourages those types of people. <br /><br />The worst part about these people is their screaming child. The one that makes all the noise is a girl, we think. Actually, we don't know or care. But it yells. We've seen it yell twice. Once <a href="http://threeleesinapod.blogspot.com/2010/03/pipers-new-trick.html">it was mad</a> and yelling and the other time it was happy and yelling. It yells either way and they do nothing to stop it. I know they can; but they won't. And the woman is pregnant with another one. Isn't three noisemaking things enough for two people? Walking around with three kids and pregnant with another like they own the place. <br /><br />We glare in their direction to make them be quiet and take up less space, but they refuse. The next time we see that child yell, we intend to lodge formal complaint with the park service.<br /><br />The Judgers.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-24493532732889907482010-04-08T20:40:00.001-05:002010-04-08T20:42:26.747-05:00Walls!<p>We have walls in the kids' room. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFzGXaIZHmTAapCfBDuEk0c0EoFKwgK7oRLL3K_-rs44pkzeBK7wf4MDgqsSikGytkIeNgucn3T1oTPDHwJ0GJMIgEFOzvgKCvaVn0l-m_bc8QTgriVAT1n08dQOptNAa_FLfzZKFRK87/s1600/IMG_1232.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFzGXaIZHmTAapCfBDuEk0c0EoFKwgK7oRLL3K_-rs44pkzeBK7wf4MDgqsSikGytkIeNgucn3T1oTPDHwJ0GJMIgEFOzvgKCvaVn0l-m_bc8QTgriVAT1n08dQOptNAa_FLfzZKFRK87/s320/IMG_1232.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457940876880857698" /></a><br />It's starting to feel real now - like we have a new part of our house that wasn't there before. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLYFySPpQ9Vu25hoOJYQDzTcoLZuuTQ2kY53hepw1hCGQ9evKwmzDxf64vpqg4AyxVzDecnkUlW4U-0iE0VMIi4sVma637hexB06vCH4q-_r8xCourks6QZ9XhfQsbhpwJJRC-PDlL7Yw/s1600/IMG_1233.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLYFySPpQ9Vu25hoOJYQDzTcoLZuuTQ2kY53hepw1hCGQ9evKwmzDxf64vpqg4AyxVzDecnkUlW4U-0iE0VMIi4sVma637hexB06vCH4q-_r8xCourks6QZ9XhfQsbhpwJJRC-PDlL7Yw/s320/IMG_1233.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457940869456823250" /></a><br />I know from a square footage standpoint, our house is staying the same size. The man room was like a formal living room, though. It was there so we could use it, and we used it when we had people over. But as we started doing more kid related stuff, we had less need for a billiard room and bar. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5NCrHga8Ftua9hLdq9_2Lci6DmJypVy5yQita6DzNT8iTNFyE6OPEm1xcASIA8l1I-DuuSCzUFTZy3oeuYZf6Pui-lNZ4AmpwhWDMU2PTychyphenhyphencKW1EIm0yENgJq2HKJVjInomTP3kQTx/s1600/IMG_1235.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5NCrHga8Ftua9hLdq9_2Lci6DmJypVy5yQita6DzNT8iTNFyE6OPEm1xcASIA8l1I-DuuSCzUFTZy3oeuYZf6Pui-lNZ4AmpwhWDMU2PTychyphenhyphencKW1EIm0yENgJq2HKJVjInomTP3kQTx/s320/IMG_1235.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457940860748429682" /></a><br />I guess I should mourn the loss of the man room, but I don't. I'm too excited about making our house more usable for our growing family. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1glWmYt4xS0OVlXbkVnihlfNK5nh0YlHWQHcirFcDgugUnnGlYL2TlEIuIXrcP2go7KxWPgBU4comhciN2TkgswIqH-0kmezpzAh7jMD9JQ7r2uVx-ErmbbnsIUlCVmHBtccPzVBp7nd/s1600/IMG_1234.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1glWmYt4xS0OVlXbkVnihlfNK5nh0YlHWQHcirFcDgugUnnGlYL2TlEIuIXrcP2go7KxWPgBU4comhciN2TkgswIqH-0kmezpzAh7jMD9JQ7r2uVx-ErmbbnsIUlCVmHBtccPzVBp7nd/s320/IMG_1234.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457942313070189826" /></a><br />The house already feels bigger and it's just a dusty unpainted room with the door closed. If Piper, Henry and Rosemary knew to be excited, I think they would be.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-43826667222576131292010-04-07T22:22:00.000-05:002010-04-07T22:23:49.644-05:00Heavy Comforter<p>Monday night, Heather and I got in bed and I was asking her if the comforter felt heavy. She said no. Then I asked if she was hot. Again, no. I thought maybe we had high humidity and the comforter was holding moisture. I turned down the A/C, but was still hot all night.<br /><br />Last night when we got in bed, I felt lumps on top of me. It turns out I had washed a load of clothes, piled them on the bed, and then covered the comforter, together with the pile of clothes, with a sheet because the drywall people were coming to sand Monday morning. Then I forgot about having put the clothes on the bed and slept under a pile of laundry all night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2qzqe55g2zq8jZGBxI6Xh5kV1mgOjWGseTBTQRsDqMTj1VqcS2ze9pPeK0mLdCeNlb6R3e1hEuEgstXvcxFXck6wrLEbeBEtrQuUD1Gx2uzLFLJCjIaQDjFiynUD8JNbB4kPFcia5ZKQ/s1600/IMG_1229(2).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2qzqe55g2zq8jZGBxI6Xh5kV1mgOjWGseTBTQRsDqMTj1VqcS2ze9pPeK0mLdCeNlb6R3e1hEuEgstXvcxFXck6wrLEbeBEtrQuUD1Gx2uzLFLJCjIaQDjFiynUD8JNbB4kPFcia5ZKQ/s320/IMG_1229(2).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457596090463965426" /></a><br />Our room is so messy that I accidentally sleep under a pile of laundry. We have nowhere to put our stuff. It's everywhere. There's no "away." <br /><br />On a positive note, Heather's closet is plumbed and sheet rocked, so I think we are close to having an "away" again. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMurnnUq3SbNliSPwAjutUcZLlJ_n_bPLbDvHwpbAExYQwhH3BCVDkc6PND0PrPY8Wjd0vREAWmFmX0pnXtFHI9VGWhu_IAuQyfipQ6MvcN-jDB7E98NwVyY4vg2zyRJjndygXEIFcmDl/s1600/IMG_1228.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMurnnUq3SbNliSPwAjutUcZLlJ_n_bPLbDvHwpbAExYQwhH3BCVDkc6PND0PrPY8Wjd0vREAWmFmX0pnXtFHI9VGWhu_IAuQyfipQ6MvcN-jDB7E98NwVyY4vg2zyRJjndygXEIFcmDl/s320/IMG_1228.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457585866277996834" /></a><br />Maybe we can move Heather back into her closet this weekend.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-61875081201628464482010-04-05T21:33:00.001-05:002010-04-05T21:40:46.708-05:00Kids' Room Progress<p>I got a call at work from Heather this past week. She called to tell me that the builder had the plumbers at the house and they needed everything out of her closet because they were going to start jackhammering in there. <br /><br />Heather's closet is right under the kids' new bathroom and next to our master bath toilet. The plan was to run a sewer line down from the kids' new bathroom, through Heather's closet, and down into the slab and connect to the existing sewer line.<br /><br />Heather couldn't leave work right then, nor should she have. Clearing out seven years of stuff under the observation of a three dudes waiting with a jackhammer is just a little too much to put on Heather and little Penelope right now, in my opinion. I told Heather I would go home and do it.<br /><br />I had no idea the amount of stuff that was in that closet. The hanging clothes were not that big of a deal. My closet racks were full, but because I keep precisely 3/4 of an inch between each item, I was able to squish all of my stuff into 1/4 of its existing space. That made room for most of Heather's hanging clothes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZub8j-udVuieIHDtfvvXakbMGEmTaTOUct5o_I02AR4h49ZAubt6K2dw8Y4aV-TxRThoGckkMvk5zHQRcifydFndhFLg-0qSiKmW39cGFDly0_e7-gLU3qOhQaSUmqpT6jchCezbfye-/s1600/IMG_1219.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZub8j-udVuieIHDtfvvXakbMGEmTaTOUct5o_I02AR4h49ZAubt6K2dw8Y4aV-TxRThoGckkMvk5zHQRcifydFndhFLg-0qSiKmW39cGFDly0_e7-gLU3qOhQaSUmqpT6jchCezbfye-/s320/IMG_1219.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456112435434993634" border="0" /></a><br />Maternity items went in front, of course. Heather even found a new skirt.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTdJeV8zOIKq2N7KWhS9ySfPRfhN6SRTa9tOaBGmvUl4dxU5eTb-QSIsS9xFGK4wPhZn56JhM1Q_VSoNVWfOasDIgPaILZnz4MBUjqeNZLFZN7nclk_st_5M0ymO0Wk5jM7ONphioG-Nt/s1600/IMG_1221.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTdJeV8zOIKq2N7KWhS9ySfPRfhN6SRTa9tOaBGmvUl4dxU5eTb-QSIsS9xFGK4wPhZn56JhM1Q_VSoNVWfOasDIgPaILZnz4MBUjqeNZLFZN7nclk_st_5M0ymO0Wk5jM7ONphioG-Nt/s320/IMG_1221.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456112420648079794" border="0" /></a><br />The floor was the hard part. There was just a lot of stuff - shoes on top of shoe boxes on top of shoe racks. Bill the builder and I loaded stuff by the armful into lawn bags and put the bags in the tub.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFU3qPQVd_Ne68MtQXfkt3qx5N3YJuOzfeXKOO_IqA4cr8bHNJVN1M-G3Boz32MaSKn4R67H9yeJtYZck467wfmgzfUBpkKyxlrMT_RXm8ENaxSDSIYTKaB1c6hgNl1CHJ_iv520viw8U/s1600/IMG_1223.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFU3qPQVd_Ne68MtQXfkt3qx5N3YJuOzfeXKOO_IqA4cr8bHNJVN1M-G3Boz32MaSKn4R67H9yeJtYZck467wfmgzfUBpkKyxlrMT_RXm8ENaxSDSIYTKaB1c6hgNl1CHJ_iv520viw8U/s320/IMG_1223.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456112399579709682" border="0" /></a><br />Shoes that looked familiar went into my closet. Other items that looked important went into the TV armoire or on the bench at the foot of our bed.<br /><br />When we got to the bottom of the sediment of shoes up against the wall, the plumber yelled "look - there's a clean-out," which meant that there was a sewer stub already in the slab. Here it is after they cut the sheet rock out to take a look.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwiKID4QJrvktM6kLwBXKrLO_4NRM-INQWKuacBJ2aWri9uPojwmopwfXekNUIIlVjPwbvcBeDMgBdx_9CD9eHsarXWiKyjKZKYXS6RmzRmvFEqtou4aqkMgapErdN6WqUK43vlliDs5K/s1600/IMG_1215.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwiKID4QJrvktM6kLwBXKrLO_4NRM-INQWKuacBJ2aWri9uPojwmopwfXekNUIIlVjPwbvcBeDMgBdx_9CD9eHsarXWiKyjKZKYXS6RmzRmvFEqtou4aqkMgapErdN6WqUK43vlliDs5K/s320/IMG_1215.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456112844092929634" border="0" /></a><br />Bill the builder looked at the clean-out and said, in a deeper version of what Owen Wilson sounds like: "Wow - that was a really good idea I had putting that there." We stood and looked and nodded our heads. "It's almost like I knew we would be standing here one day adding onto the house when I built it." It was nice to see Bill admire the work he did, only to forget about it in order to pleasantly surprise himself later. That's actually a really good feeling if you haven't experienced it. <br /><br />Bill's pride in his housing design aside, I was wondering if finding that sewer pipe was going to save me any money. I'm new to hiring a contractor to remodel a house. I know that upgrading a cabinet or adding a second one like we did in the bathroom will cost a few hundred dollars extra. I didn't ask whether we get a credit for not having to jackhammer through the slab when we find out that it's already been stubbed for sewer. Having people stand around with a jackhammer doesn't look significantly cheaper than having people actually use a jackhammer though. Something tells me that we won't see a change order entitled "found sewer line: -$350.00" when we get the one for the cabinet. Just a hunch.<br /><br />As for the progress upstairs, everything is wired and we have water to and from the bathroom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunBP-ibgLoKUCxntRapuz89CiEcOmGb3G9_heXtYGLtASicc6mqlizqaIGOYsJPnQJVhgsDEQpi9peUHP4OdNy0Uvm6mT2TnAVQWjSj-mcgVQluPS24B_OlJQwhmi8XsikEJhC8lou388/s1600/IMG_1226.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunBP-ibgLoKUCxntRapuz89CiEcOmGb3G9_heXtYGLtASicc6mqlizqaIGOYsJPnQJVhgsDEQpi9peUHP4OdNy0Uvm6mT2TnAVQWjSj-mcgVQluPS24B_OlJQwhmi8XsikEJhC8lou388/s320/IMG_1226.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456112385692701666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOr9MTC8CBUhMMfsJyOoLp9ry5oiJ9QGyaWr1OLs6Xt_GKwCA-fubHeVSfTqa8o4HYzuzVjtYztciGsdM9SksbNtiX46RKafmD8_rwE9c8pmOZMLE3wJC-yfaSzuhXtxk2L03qUiRd9uw/s1600/IMG_1227.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOr9MTC8CBUhMMfsJyOoLp9ry5oiJ9QGyaWr1OLs6Xt_GKwCA-fubHeVSfTqa8o4HYzuzVjtYztciGsdM9SksbNtiX46RKafmD8_rwE9c8pmOZMLE3wJC-yfaSzuhXtxk2L03qUiRd9uw/s320/IMG_1227.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456112375071664946" border="0" /></a><br />So far, I've managed to find everything Heather has asked me for that I pulled out of her closet. I'm pretty impressed with myself. There was a lot to keep track of. If I can keep this streak alive into the weekend when we put everything back, I will have pulled off the most successful mid-afternoon closet heists ever.</p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-28136229740764713292010-04-04T22:58:00.001-05:002010-04-04T23:27:52.688-05:00Snakes!!<p>At <a href="http://threeleesinapod.blogspot.com/2010/03/saturday-morning-photos.html">Aldridge Gardens</a> last weekend, Henry and I were playing around a little waterfall and bridge. Some people waked by and noticed three snakes on the rocks. We had been right next to them the whole time and didn't notice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatQubN92J-leaOGxsMi6XINPvuIf_NTrg0_SOWqe7cvNhS6ko4AEerZx6SGLXxn5b4YDdrr09kOrvGV8BZawOv6lXYUNBCnkkBEgponEFIZ6Syisw02W6NPy8f5FVedC8cVum1pUWRD4S/s1600/IMG_1189.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatQubN92J-leaOGxsMi6XINPvuIf_NTrg0_SOWqe7cvNhS6ko4AEerZx6SGLXxn5b4YDdrr09kOrvGV8BZawOv6lXYUNBCnkkBEgponEFIZ6Syisw02W6NPy8f5FVedC8cVum1pUWRD4S/s320/IMG_1189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456484229236975186" border="0" /></a><br />There were these two on the left side.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYurQz9GoNhtKTVI_zx5nTfRiRNpv6HV0Ichxws3CVAl6-buG4phA2StErC2Eoi9ir41MtNUJTY8Ai8ItSFSyJg3DKGPNjiiv0yhdxfuiXwWtSX6UXw2K9rvozZEQBSEoiWR7OgHVeNUyp/s1600/IMG_1184.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYurQz9GoNhtKTVI_zx5nTfRiRNpv6HV0Ichxws3CVAl6-buG4phA2StErC2Eoi9ir41MtNUJTY8Ai8ItSFSyJg3DKGPNjiiv0yhdxfuiXwWtSX6UXw2K9rvozZEQBSEoiWR7OgHVeNUyp/s320/IMG_1184.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456484241559130370" border="0" /></a><br />And this long one sunning itself on the right.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCX1G-9igU0_eWIJQdyIFUPpcfZIfxE_sEwCO0sCmHmRtZLTm7S29qDj0FnFBdL7bwJn_0kb0C31CwMj_q0wZhOl__8Os97yC2-Ix5AVghpUDYqfbzC5Ac-FYRvKR8sE3U7G-k9d1H29A/s1600/IMG_1185.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixCX1G-9igU0_eWIJQdyIFUPpcfZIfxE_sEwCO0sCmHmRtZLTm7S29qDj0FnFBdL7bwJn_0kb0C31CwMj_q0wZhOl__8Os97yC2-Ix5AVghpUDYqfbzC5Ac-FYRvKR8sE3U7G-k9d1H29A/s320/IMG_1185.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456484247981884818" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When Heather and Ann came back over, I tried to show them the snakes, but they couldn't see them. I got down on the rock next to the two snakes and pointed at them. As soon as I got too close for the snakes' comfort, they both ran for cover. I happened to be standing on their cover, so they appeared to be coming at me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7gBTeusTaye3P0IYp1_SyhyGFlmJPIZqd5cgYZ0fo1cta0m-0dMzHtibvvo9Ab0_cgxipad62T1TGC1FlBzafASVNHElfPLVYGwOepoerzKOjruo19JzrrOst_K9hp8zV-Tosvb8dYc2/s1600/IMG_1188.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7gBTeusTaye3P0IYp1_SyhyGFlmJPIZqd5cgYZ0fo1cta0m-0dMzHtibvvo9Ab0_cgxipad62T1TGC1FlBzafASVNHElfPLVYGwOepoerzKOjruo19JzrrOst_K9hp8zV-Tosvb8dYc2/s320/IMG_1188.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456487899565163570" /></a><br /><br />When the snakes came at me, I yelled a little. Heather and Ann both made fun of me - not so much for yelling, but for the pitch of my yell. They said it was a high. Like a girl. <br /><br />I don't like snakes. All the logic in the world isn't going to change my mind. My first thought about the involuntary girl yelp while being attacked by multiple snakes is that it sets a bad example for Henry, who was looking on. Then again, as a matter of policy, yelling like a girl and running every time a snake comes after him could serve him well in life. Sure, there's the shame associated with it, but shame only hurts on the inside. Being mauled by serpents hurts all over. <br /><br />P.S. You can spare me the "those are just corn/rat/barn/whatever snakes" part. I don't have a snake field guide and I have no intention of counting stripes or looking at their eyes before I decide to run from them screaming. </p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-1506315336212008992010-04-02T21:23:00.002-05:002010-04-02T21:53:31.874-05:00A Pregnant Woman Taking Pictures<p>Heather has been taking great pictures of our little babies ever since she got her Nikon D60 from them for Mother's Day last year. Sometimes I'm in the pictures because I'm in the general vicinity of the subjects. Heather, however, never gets in the pictures because she's on the other side of the camera. I would really like for some of the pictures of the kids to have Heather in them. I have a few, but they aren't as good as Heather's. I've decided to take start taking pictures of Heather taking pictures of the kids anyway. Here she is taking pictures at Aldridge Gardens.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGok2p3vt6ZPreETWxK3nOvU94oLkEp8af5VILkU1Mf7y8XDNfs23IB50N0VQ9uNPpZnLeRoU1jDBqoK9KZ8mBovSA1qfvikziZfvYxiXgX0I37acA7mH_vYt9I3e5nMA5Ul_Xm20Q_VMv/s1600/IMG_1176.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGok2p3vt6ZPreETWxK3nOvU94oLkEp8af5VILkU1Mf7y8XDNfs23IB50N0VQ9uNPpZnLeRoU1jDBqoK9KZ8mBovSA1qfvikziZfvYxiXgX0I37acA7mH_vYt9I3e5nMA5Ul_Xm20Q_VMv/s320/IMG_1176.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454636211995813618" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBh0dGgISgNIVQSYYqIwTisBDXJsRdOWCXJzZVMa56cZ_OfiG8QoZAySnTD5mIwBVV2zheoLaogV1BL_T8goS9Gj0WAvV7i8e8mDU3kdAAPOM4RhGKpW9tOk0MV21_nTbDwaIFRW0NUOg/s1600/IMG_1175.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBh0dGgISgNIVQSYYqIwTisBDXJsRdOWCXJzZVMa56cZ_OfiG8QoZAySnTD5mIwBVV2zheoLaogV1BL_T8goS9Gj0WAvV7i8e8mDU3kdAAPOM4RhGKpW9tOk0MV21_nTbDwaIFRW0NUOg/s320/IMG_1175.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454636206567862514" /></a><br /><br />When I showed these pictures to Heather, she was surprised at how pregnant she looked. I guess that sort of thing kind of sneaks up on you.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-47231867872001807842010-03-31T07:15:00.000-05:002010-03-31T07:15:00.593-05:00Man Room Update<p>The man room is dead. I sold the bar, the bar fridge and the pub table on craigslist. I attempted to sell the pool table on craigslist, but apparently 100 people will email me with detailed questions about a cheap pub table, but not a single one has an appreciation for a quality pool table. The pool table is in storage waiting for the day that I get another man room. <br /><br />I got the room cleaned out last weekend, with the exception of a couch that I can't get back down the stairs. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6pTemzIXT3HyGRujOOpHeN5m2xXWJAdgyjBw3YUglFTGNSaMfISur8ysx845w1y45Ug1dUQAAym0_iHxM22kIxDFhZ5D1vnL8fPjvQPD3ftlLCkUv6Gj1SiGQ0fvRGjEr7qbOYVWS-fM/s1600/IMG_1135.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6pTemzIXT3HyGRujOOpHeN5m2xXWJAdgyjBw3YUglFTGNSaMfISur8ysx845w1y45Ug1dUQAAym0_iHxM22kIxDFhZ5D1vnL8fPjvQPD3ftlLCkUv6Gj1SiGQ0fvRGjEr7qbOYVWS-fM/s320/IMG_1135.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454251227833364834" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30ejle0Dgf5l_55GBLFrzxikrSp452S5WJDmaeoxQr_daJ-AQAVOFJ7U3p7WBd_OEYhWlC9l3AreSMnQVTLui461KMzCp0ISSzZx-LUwdVA4i8S01X_-qRCAdYp23zvg0kWNncFiROjbZ/s1600/IMG_1131.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30ejle0Dgf5l_55GBLFrzxikrSp452S5WJDmaeoxQr_daJ-AQAVOFJ7U3p7WBd_OEYhWlC9l3AreSMnQVTLui461KMzCp0ISSzZx-LUwdVA4i8S01X_-qRCAdYp23zvg0kWNncFiROjbZ/s320/IMG_1131.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454614256186499970" /></a><br />I found the builder's drawing tacked up to the wall on the first day of construction. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h5Ozc28pLqbMPAddu8dSZNQIwEP7tOq8iQVCe_7FDfaoyxR4HsAcEVLIwj7eYbY9nitb0YO0FuXkjPVPBfo0oDx55sETdJwZgMh2yIMFaVFmEVNHTY-9IAkqF8ORUJqrhh0E60iO68ww/s1600/IMG_1148.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h5Ozc28pLqbMPAddu8dSZNQIwEP7tOq8iQVCe_7FDfaoyxR4HsAcEVLIwj7eYbY9nitb0YO0FuXkjPVPBfo0oDx55sETdJwZgMh2yIMFaVFmEVNHTY-9IAkqF8ORUJqrhh0E60iO68ww/s320/IMG_1148.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454254339670810626" /></a><br />If I didn't know our builder, and live in the evidence that he can build a whole house, I might be concerned about the quality of the architect's rendering.<br /><br />The framing happened quickly once Bill and his superintendent Brad started.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2phbofO0JiFO4Zflel3f-cllv33VGaJKzLY1hc61FklLclqgd5fGg29aZXVRMwM6CXhc2iRhH3gmyDU3TejY4HEn1NvEYuMghkcgsk-jATA3wkyLvpH2M8JptM1WybvtHVAt264TVyqqh/s1600/IMG_1147.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2phbofO0JiFO4Zflel3f-cllv33VGaJKzLY1hc61FklLclqgd5fGg29aZXVRMwM6CXhc2iRhH3gmyDU3TejY4HEn1NvEYuMghkcgsk-jATA3wkyLvpH2M8JptM1WybvtHVAt264TVyqqh/s320/IMG_1147.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454254330304454546" /></a><br />The bathroom main vanity area:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWdpwjndSH8GJVqiDzfF0kMlU4C908oToNJYb_7Kb8aNla4gsJ7McaRyI6HLh4rwdTrs65rcJjaINCCnZVDZb8mj-taMmNHCudNOAufTIhwwPJ1gjoVFZ1EqZHl1uauz8-oFmYsQxWPrY/s1600/IMG_1146.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWdpwjndSH8GJVqiDzfF0kMlU4C908oToNJYb_7Kb8aNla4gsJ7McaRyI6HLh4rwdTrs65rcJjaINCCnZVDZb8mj-taMmNHCudNOAufTIhwwPJ1gjoVFZ1EqZHl1uauz8-oFmYsQxWPrY/s320/IMG_1146.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454254322762432194" /></a><br />The tub and toilet area:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn8ht561meTdFxexO1jn73tP34E010Jy12bojnmo1zKunnAVFIRm3kwIBZRQL5sdk0VvPivD89XnulWgABeFx-ek-oPn4maMB6ccWQw0ITEqQcstmEwi9iBI5x2vLQ-zh3UBqfdsVcBN7/s1600/IMG_1145.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn8ht561meTdFxexO1jn73tP34E010Jy12bojnmo1zKunnAVFIRm3kwIBZRQL5sdk0VvPivD89XnulWgABeFx-ek-oPn4maMB6ccWQw0ITEqQcstmEwi9iBI5x2vLQ-zh3UBqfdsVcBN7/s320/IMG_1145.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454254317825646626" /></a><br />Closets:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPuKXAkYdQwx9yceT91oLRpl22rDO1Ps3AKnDKrgq-ZuXn0kSI2DjVlGdeZinqOr3s0lkMul9ONMZDSxamV8JH1R1l8rXC9Z_vn1guJq1EqE2IqR0-j2YzphO6OM1zwM2M0r4mhjv4pk6/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPuKXAkYdQwx9yceT91oLRpl22rDO1Ps3AKnDKrgq-ZuXn0kSI2DjVlGdeZinqOr3s0lkMul9ONMZDSxamV8JH1R1l8rXC9Z_vn1guJq1EqE2IqR0-j2YzphO6OM1zwM2M0r4mhjv4pk6/s320/IMG_1144.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454254305717937506" /></a><br />Bathroom, closets and hall.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhi95UGxQDjxAokSJ3z6WXhQCQBv2x9cuE51ZqBWDSjrgwXixQ68SjSPeLQixQsP6PK6ccCcHMIqEMSl9Y9_pGhmQqfvZ-MgAO22PVPIhgfOkp2LVlr1Dx5Fg9gIZG-_Nixe6FqXapnoz/s1600/IMG_1143.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhi95UGxQDjxAokSJ3z6WXhQCQBv2x9cuE51ZqBWDSjrgwXixQ68SjSPeLQixQsP6PK6ccCcHMIqEMSl9Y9_pGhmQqfvZ-MgAO22PVPIhgfOkp2LVlr1Dx5Fg9gIZG-_Nixe6FqXapnoz/s320/IMG_1143.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454252904039185122" /></a><br />And the kids watching the sheet rock people unload the truck into our garage: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSJZu7fQbBbhaxbt1_rcQLCBCY5YLeAd0HjnhhO_VswlH2MnpqO4l9QRVaZFtH4P-dG3wwy1CbtMyjSACanXBvGq-7umiyvuRJrcUAbsgcMIpKe9Y6Dmu9lhHGRxLuQa1sGuKxxDYmaEk/s1600/IMG_1139.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSJZu7fQbBbhaxbt1_rcQLCBCY5YLeAd0HjnhhO_VswlH2MnpqO4l9QRVaZFtH4P-dG3wwy1CbtMyjSACanXBvGq-7umiyvuRJrcUAbsgcMIpKe9Y6Dmu9lhHGRxLuQa1sGuKxxDYmaEk/s320/IMG_1139.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454252874580830450" /></a><br /><p>I wonder if they know they are getting a new room. This is a big deal. Even if they don't know and aren't excited, I'm excited for them.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-91527747376645644492010-03-29T21:12:00.003-05:002010-03-29T21:17:49.967-05:00The Little Silver Van<p>I used to talk bad about mini-vans. I feel bad about it. Not that there's anything wrong with mini-vans; some of my best friends are mini-vans. I just never thought I would own one. <br /><br />After looking into the <a href="http://baldguyinplaidpants.blogspot.com/2010/03/search-for-nannymobile.html">big white van</a> and coming up with a big white no-go, I re-thought my choices and motives. The reason I liked the big white van was its pure utility. That made me question whether the Ford Flex was an option at all because it's a lot smaller than our Expedition EL and doesn't hold very much. <br /><br />I did some more research and concluded that all the people who drive mini-vans can't be wrong, despite the things I've said about them. Mini-vans have walk-through access to the third row, which we need because we will have two carseats in the second row. They also have lots of cargo room to carry strollers and baby gear - not as much as the big white van, but still a pretty good bit. Other than it being a <span style="font-weight:bold;">mini-van<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>, there's not much to complain about with the functionality of a mini-van. On the inside, they are just like you and me. <br /><br />I am a Honda/Acura fan. My last three cars have been Hondas and Acuras and, other than a battery cable or three on one of the Hondas, they were perfect. And Honda's van, the Odyssey, is made right here in Alabama. Naturally, I picked the Odyssey. <br /><br />It's only 69 inches tall, so it fits in the garage. No measuring required, unlike the big white van.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-hL3H642otFN9L7WMr2r3NRJiyEhQyzY_5dLwKohU07QaXcUBp0rZIqvf8vf7O3_PByuZFlL3N-qFv8UdZU0IXO8-OcU9Z9GgbtqPiLxbY1uoJQmbmo8FxMrhyphenhyphenvcQhbS-2gK0Zmyoq9T/s1600/IMG_1137.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-hL3H642otFN9L7WMr2r3NRJiyEhQyzY_5dLwKohU07QaXcUBp0rZIqvf8vf7O3_PByuZFlL3N-qFv8UdZU0IXO8-OcU9Z9GgbtqPiLxbY1uoJQmbmo8FxMrhyphenhyphenvcQhbS-2gK0Zmyoq9T/s320/IMG_1137.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453680615007769266" /></a> <br />My only problem with this purchase was negotiating with Heather on the optional features. Because this is "our" car as opposed to "my" car, I think I ran into more resistance and second guessing than I'm used to. Heather accepted my determination that: 1) a mini-van was the correct vehicle; and, 2) the Honda Odyssey was the best mini-van for us, but that was pretty much where her acceptance ended. <br /><br />I researched the trim lines and optional features on the van and gave Heather my report on what we needed. She shot down every single one of the options. Not some. All. For each feature, Heather asked how much it costs. I told her how much and re-explained the benefits of said feature. She said no. Over and over. She told me I was to purchase this van with no optional features for the cheapest price possible. <br /><br />Heather said it. Heather is pregnant. I don't argue with pregnant women. We will have a van with no features. <br /><br />Although it went against every fiber of my leather seat loving, big stereo listening self, I bought a Honda Odyssey with no optional features. There is no Honda Odyssey one can purchase that has less stuff on it than ours. I bet even the one you rent from Budget Rent-A-Car has more stuff on it. I guess this makes sense because the Expedition, with all the kid friendly features and fancy things, is the primary kid hauler. Really, I don't need to know the reason. A pregnant woman told me to do it and I did it. Those are the rules as I understand them. <br /><br />Even though both Heather and I still drive SUVs, we now own a mini-van. I don't know if that makes us mini-van people. I do know that Heather looked down at me from the Expedition when I got behind the wheel of the van at the dealership and laughed. Maybe she was laughing that we, as SUV people, bought a mini-van. Maybe she was just laughing at me. I know neither of us claim it yet. I've driven it a few times when I could have driven my SUV. I like it. I may have to take back most of the things I've said about mini-vans. I just had to take the time to get to know one.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-1531846558348109122010-03-28T21:33:00.000-05:002010-03-28T21:34:10.995-05:00Snacks on the Go<p>Today, we went to church and put the kids down for a nap a little later than normal. They ended up sleeping until about 4:00, which I though was going to put a crimp in my afternoon walk plans.<br /><br />Our normal afternoon routine is: wake up from nap; play/walk; snack; then, bath followed by dinner. The kids usually want a snack by 5:00, so I didn't think I had time to walk and come back in time for snacks. Then it occurred to me that I could take a snack on the road - sort of like what normal parents do.<br /><br />I packed up bananas, cheese and milk and hit the neighborhood nature trail.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9jvrN9pUKUOXqZpaN3ftKDMSaMgWEM757nFv0PVQMBgYyRsA6plmHwn1ed9-p6QmWXKCfp1nhpJu_tAsPH6fzaLcpM1p-fv6kf2fd4fbD7ad_EiAnhSoJCfAjPvDPj027cUVsRkmVRNe/s1600/IMG_1194.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9jvrN9pUKUOXqZpaN3ftKDMSaMgWEM757nFv0PVQMBgYyRsA6plmHwn1ed9-p6QmWXKCfp1nhpJu_tAsPH6fzaLcpM1p-fv6kf2fd4fbD7ad_EiAnhSoJCfAjPvDPj027cUVsRkmVRNe/s320/IMG_1194.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453875452804275666" border="0" /></a><br />I stopped on a wide spot, so the kids could look out over the pond.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhre2kxq0T_te6LQqtOTvVJxHvev7XI7EHLr8U6dbj-mgen4Xvw9XDP4Ywsq4jNNbwOuoX5cHTmBsnboGs3hl_Z-_DmmKf-ZiqO1w0EXkDbZLAx2t1SwBxbLu93JLOQ0BOYafsRS-ZcyH18/s1600/IMG_1198.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhre2kxq0T_te6LQqtOTvVJxHvev7XI7EHLr8U6dbj-mgen4Xvw9XDP4Ywsq4jNNbwOuoX5cHTmBsnboGs3hl_Z-_DmmKf-ZiqO1w0EXkDbZLAx2t1SwBxbLu93JLOQ0BOYafsRS-ZcyH18/s320/IMG_1198.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453875468069514642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadiR5zJk-YU1Fw0JivNcAxUEB4CIOy1O05FPr9We1lQRnZYURITNilzu-9wDiqupod4uRyCfI4IWVlNM746VUOEw1zyiOh9-swzqVnb07-wyjN-CFHUIOoQ_QwG8z1djTdAvZWQ59Bdzl/s1600/IMG_1200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadiR5zJk-YU1Fw0JivNcAxUEB4CIOy1O05FPr9We1lQRnZYURITNilzu-9wDiqupod4uRyCfI4IWVlNM746VUOEw1zyiOh9-swzqVnb07-wyjN-CFHUIOoQ_QwG8z1djTdAvZWQ59Bdzl/s320/IMG_1200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453875474161330994" border="0" /></a><br />I know most parents would have left the bibs behind, but I didn't feel like scrubbing cheese and bananas out of the stroller harnesses. I'm taking this whole flexibility thing slowly. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt220OTKmn1FL7bhyphenhyphenAit_QVnc8cITynYU22hzV1q6SjvjjqXBwtYpSi_J7DlYgwd2XaWJ3-Xebcw2snwx7UPz3npd9dM1jQ9KU_WLGUUH2wYs1Uftp70GzQwnL8bWFAdKrbLBbH9OyHmJ/s1600/IMG_1205.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt220OTKmn1FL7bhyphenhyphenAit_QVnc8cITynYU22hzV1q6SjvjjqXBwtYpSi_J7DlYgwd2XaWJ3-Xebcw2snwx7UPz3npd9dM1jQ9KU_WLGUUH2wYs1Uftp70GzQwnL8bWFAdKrbLBbH9OyHmJ/s320/IMG_1205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453875482210426114" border="0" /></a><br />In any event, my afternoon walk time got a little longer today.</p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-38661520716556534752010-03-14T20:46:00.005-05:002010-03-14T22:59:23.906-05:00The Search for a Nannymobile<p>In addition to looking for a new nanny, we've been shopping for a third family car so our future nanny will have a big safe car at the house to carry four kids. The SUV I bought last year that fits three carseats in the back seat will be useless as a family car as soon as #4 arrives, so I want something to drive the kids around in too. <br /><br />The car needs to have access to the third row without folding down the second row because the second row will have car seats in it. I narrowed down my search to three choices: 1) a Ford Flex; 2) a full size Chevy Express Van and 3) a Ford Expedition EL. Heather already has an Expedition EL and doesn't want another one, so I struck that off the list. I like the Flex, but it doesn't give us any utility that we don't already have with the Expedition. It's just a smaller version of what we have.<br /><br />This left me with the full size van. I did my safety research and found that Chevy offers full side curtain airbags, containment glass in the back that will keep someone from being ejected in a roll-over, and stability control that helps to keep the van from rolling over in the first place. The one-ton version of the van (the 3500) is also one of the heaviest vehicles I've found without a turret and cannon on top. I am a member of the bigger-is-better camp when it comes to car safety, so that's a huge selling point for me.<br /><br />I found a 12 passenger Express 3500 in town and test drove it at lunch on Friday. It drove great and I really liked it. I even took it through some sharp corners at unsafe speeds to see if I could tip it over. I was unable to tip it over, but more than able to scare the hell out of Bernie the White Knuckle Salesman.<br /><br />Friday night I reported my findings to Heather and she approved of the purchase. On Saturday morning, I drove out to the dealership and asked Bernie Whiteknuckles if I could take it for the weekend. I wanted to take it home, see how the carseats fit, see how it fits in the garage, show it to Heather, and just generally see how it works into our weekend routine. Bernie was happy to let me perform the remainder of my road testing without him, and eagerly got his boss's approval for me to borrow the van for the weekend. <br /><br />Here's the van in our driveway:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjFqEMLikY2iSuMBZYcSom__XBTb3-gLXtBSYdZPv8pZeAf1KBCaQ3H4rRTVyyWTM1-rW0-R2X43xM1xmgXhIrl-65o1hzqBQZlmYWqyDt6UMsp6UfdG2HCnqoL39nPcFMSCSvUsyTPWg/s1600-h/IMG_1074.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjFqEMLikY2iSuMBZYcSom__XBTb3-gLXtBSYdZPv8pZeAf1KBCaQ3H4rRTVyyWTM1-rW0-R2X43xM1xmgXhIrl-65o1hzqBQZlmYWqyDt6UMsp6UfdG2HCnqoL39nPcFMSCSvUsyTPWg/s320/IMG_1074.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448562614326647138" border="0" /></a><br />It has loads of room in back and the door slides easily. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6tzxd09OTzZW0QTleKA84Qq7VHlE2ccU52qFh7az0Tnnfipv1e67kceIlMdJSagduEDWjkgwgJh8MxP1TiV0swoY1glFSMitnGFuQT4LvaTEMRZorP7yqFXUXKTapmGFp9rnJsdMJRaV/s1600-h/IMG_1078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6tzxd09OTzZW0QTleKA84Qq7VHlE2ccU52qFh7az0Tnnfipv1e67kceIlMdJSagduEDWjkgwgJh8MxP1TiV0swoY1glFSMitnGFuQT4LvaTEMRZorP7yqFXUXKTapmGFp9rnJsdMJRaV/s320/IMG_1078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448562608019408594" border="0" /></a><br />The second and third row will each hold three people or two carseats, and each has two LATCH systems and tethers to secure the carseats.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnM2CY63GzTQM1eB3Md8DOSD-Wu6cFS5Uks3rXOIm1f_yLNvAJUtbCEwdn3uK4MTLtUHjU8m4WZU2kkn0HJRAiDiqTRH4jHRGCUEffB6TacB1y2VEIpbYt2TpE2aJBo0ldgoIpxtWZpLU/s1600-h/IMG_1077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnM2CY63GzTQM1eB3Md8DOSD-Wu6cFS5Uks3rXOIm1f_yLNvAJUtbCEwdn3uK4MTLtUHjU8m4WZU2kkn0HJRAiDiqTRH4jHRGCUEffB6TacB1y2VEIpbYt2TpE2aJBo0ldgoIpxtWZpLU/s320/IMG_1077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448562602335828738" border="0" /></a><br /><p>The fourth row is split, so you can take out half of the fourth row, seating two people in the way-back with a lot of cargo room, or take out the whole way-back bench and haul just about anything. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjvXuQ1givS0eA3fJOH0sVY3QK1Q74-tbnwC82JdgG8punx9hek9urV1oQ8MmHtdo59USsLabdDq455afMJNnuJh-6cYhDHfypI2gu6LIfL8j5WsmBWceYvCNf1gk66BjmgxUm-2xNdty/s1600-h/IMG_1075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjvXuQ1givS0eA3fJOH0sVY3QK1Q74-tbnwC82JdgG8punx9hek9urV1oQ8MmHtdo59USsLabdDq455afMJNnuJh-6cYhDHfypI2gu6LIfL8j5WsmBWceYvCNf1gk66BjmgxUm-2xNdty/s320/IMG_1075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448562587173952178" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p>As much as anyone can be in love with a big white 12 passenger van, I'm in love. It's perfect for us now, and I think it would serve our family well over the next ten years or so. <br /><br />Because we have limited garage / parking area, we're going to have to keep the third car in the garage. Heather and I will park side by side (tightly) in the driveway because it just isn't practical to move the nannymobile/van and one of our cars every morning when we leave for work. Moving just one car is a huge pain now. The car-moving results in at least five minutes of debate each morning. I can't imagine the unpleasantries that would fly while Heather and I were getting dressed if we had to move two cars every morning. Our neighborhood covenants prevent us from parking cars on the street, so that's not an option either. Our parking situation just isn't good.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI50gPPAhLZiYyJQ3uveKT5Jk4Y2m8ERM67mmDjQqK-EyhP8ZVUfZsr6ggh2HVGGvnZHeRR5tCfMxg18njGNMa6otamko9LgI29M73LAvoJYEtX93OtnLZsRkNX7t8sGCR0O-z40NlZ726/s1600-h/IMG_1080.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI50gPPAhLZiYyJQ3uveKT5Jk4Y2m8ERM67mmDjQqK-EyhP8ZVUfZsr6ggh2HVGGvnZHeRR5tCfMxg18njGNMa6otamko9LgI29M73LAvoJYEtX93OtnLZsRkNX7t8sGCR0O-z40NlZ726/s320/IMG_1080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448560317435448546" border="0" /></a><br /><p>I used to park on the right hand side of the garage until we added the arsenal of strollers, which now consists of a triple jogger, a double, a single and two double wagons. We'll probably add a single jogger and maybe a couple double joggers with the new baby. My car isn't going back in the garage for the foreseeable future.<br /> <br />Anyway, the van worked perfectly on my weekend test. If it passed the garage test, we had found our new nannymobile / daddymobile / vacation car. <br /><br />Heather's Expedition is about 77 inches tall. A 77 inch truck gives us 6 inches of extra room, as shown here:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zHPHqINe50v-FvL0yFHso4Z6Ah8dZUwLFZQN1fN6NBDNMvW8hl2PiGR2iy4hreYvxQip7tsiiJPu-iXOw_OAy42IDIPk0aGbm2fevPCRhfkv2gtUhpiLMfkBAJoGxM3qjNz2eAEi1URr/s1600-h/IMG_1088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zHPHqINe50v-FvL0yFHso4Z6Ah8dZUwLFZQN1fN6NBDNMvW8hl2PiGR2iy4hreYvxQip7tsiiJPu-iXOw_OAy42IDIPk0aGbm2fevPCRhfkv2gtUhpiLMfkBAJoGxM3qjNz2eAEi1URr/s320/IMG_1088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448560287218949122" border="0" /></a><br />. . . unless Ford measured the 77 inches by including the optional roof rails, then we have 3 inches, as shown here:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZxPugpLBglhWeCeslh0FacHqZk_PA_gq06UyBp-pZBsv58wzT89kpzAQxcemZrABitYqcx_cRTrhNA33u4-AvbLkA73kEyMK9eu6dhyphenhyphenBAZpwNhKez2ioIhb6Q8ZiJ8pjlVdVjsCqwwUU/s1600-h/IMG_1090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZxPugpLBglhWeCeslh0FacHqZk_PA_gq06UyBp-pZBsv58wzT89kpzAQxcemZrABitYqcx_cRTrhNA33u4-AvbLkA73kEyMK9eu6dhyphenhyphenBAZpwNhKez2ioIhb6Q8ZiJ8pjlVdVjsCqwwUU/s320/IMG_1090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448560276011377698" border="0" /></a><br />Because the roof rails are options on Heather's Expedition, I figured we had 6 inches, and the van is only 4 inches taller than Heather's car. <br /><br />I also measured, of course. <br /><br />The opening to the garage is this big:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4Tasit5TY09M3qhFCKCpjCSoljFcAKd_6SPD9LvDPkSgm7lxJIi_GH6Ktz-P1qK73vbnDPckKdVePvvj5ZKr4ZtIYfNfIZCMWT7dSbAK-37bFXZf0uCNrwIa1RjgRJmmwWCEVCzH85w1/s1600-h/IMG_1087.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4Tasit5TY09M3qhFCKCpjCSoljFcAKd_6SPD9LvDPkSgm7lxJIi_GH6Ktz-P1qK73vbnDPckKdVePvvj5ZKr4ZtIYfNfIZCMWT7dSbAK-37bFXZf0uCNrwIa1RjgRJmmwWCEVCzH85w1/s320/IMG_1087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448560294415921618" border="0" /></a><br />And the van is only this big: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRCyQHWJ_rTvE9t84rJCk_hVCdcmMlo6Ed1tXDbrTzd6Wk8lG5tWkZtD47b3wAm7OACwKVVx4cN6TufvpnP5_iGHz5coocIVUxck3ztnjstRH6NZ90ONmM_uFZk8hfFJuhWE4G6AzTGIo/s1600-h/IMG_1086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRCyQHWJ_rTvE9t84rJCk_hVCdcmMlo6Ed1tXDbrTzd6Wk8lG5tWkZtD47b3wAm7OACwKVVx4cN6TufvpnP5_iGHz5coocIVUxck3ztnjstRH6NZ90ONmM_uFZk8hfFJuhWE4G6AzTGIo/s320/IMG_1086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448560307842459042" border="0" /></a><br /><p>See? No problem. <br /><br />Just for kicks, Heather wanted to test the calibration of my fingers and have me actually pull the van into the garage. Admittedly it was a little closer than I thought. <br /><br />Heather and the kids watched from the front door as I pulled the van into the garage. As I nosed in, Heather started waving her arms in a <span style="font-style:italic;">woo-hoo</span> motion. I was like <span style="font-style:italic;">woo-hoo</span> too because it was working and just grazing the rubber portion of the garage door opening. When I didn't stop, Heather ran out the door and then I realized her <span style="font-style:italic;">woo-hoo</span> arm motion was actually a <span style="font-style:italic;">stop-stop</span> motion. They look alike. <br /><br />Heather: It's not going to fit.<br />Me: It's going to fit. The first two inches of the opening are rubber.<br />Heather: It's a lot bigger than the garage. <br />Me: Trust me.<br />Heather: I'm not watching.<br />Me: You have to; I need someone to tell me when to stop if it doesn't fit. <br />Heather: Now. Stop now. It doesn't fit. <br />Me: Spot me. <br />Heather: I'm not watching.<br /><br />I got the van about half way in and it was taking up all of the rubber seal on the garage door, but not yet hitting the wood.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfNozXBCM_8WQwD86zQVZRmJn9dbmgRLYWAF1RS2LUEIo1KSoEaowghMF2k9nvh4_eYydSTFw0i0UdEer4hb5bPkPBiF9K2H0drr2GoitDx3IqsrcK6fhIzJeT56CQdYfbi_I7n_OEKr2/s1600-h/IMG_1082.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfNozXBCM_8WQwD86zQVZRmJn9dbmgRLYWAF1RS2LUEIo1KSoEaowghMF2k9nvh4_eYydSTFw0i0UdEer4hb5bPkPBiF9K2H0drr2GoitDx3IqsrcK6fhIzJeT56CQdYfbi_I7n_OEKr2/s320/IMG_1082.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448653006324152818" /></a><br /><p>As the <span style="font-style:italic;">err-err-err</span> of van sliding against rubber turned into the <span style="font-style:italic;">snap</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">pop</span> of van crunching wood, Heather came back out and gave me the "I told you so" look. Really, it was just a tight fit until the back wheels went up a half inch from the driveway onto the house slab. Then it was wedged in the hole. <br /><br />The van didn't fit, but I was able to un-stick it with no apparent damage to the house. A cursory inspection of the van showed no damage to it either. Although my van dreams are crushed, my height miscalculation didn't cause any property damage that I can see. <br /><br />Even though I had use of the van through tomorrow, I went ahead and took it back today. It was a long sad drive. Just me and the big white van that will never be mine. I heart you big white van.<br /><br />Hopefully Bernie Whiteknuckles won't call me tomorrow asking about the roof of the van.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-31552820383638689862010-03-03T22:25:00.002-06:002010-03-03T22:30:29.464-06:00Death of a Man Room<p>When Heather and I were shopping for a house in 2003, there were two things I wanted: a wine cellar and a man room. I didn't care if the wine cellar was off of, or part of, the man room. I just wanted a place to store a couple hundred bottles of wine and a place to drink said wine while playing pool.<br /><br />After we looked at a few houses and our realtor gave a passable effort not to laugh at me for being critical of the lack of suitable wine storage in the houses, Heather had a little talk with me. She informed me that "people like us," buying three bedroom houses, didn't want or need wine cellars. We agreed to disagree on that one.<br /><br />Having scrapped the wine cellar requirement, my last stand on the list of "wants" was a man room. When we walked in the house we ultimately bought, Heather and our realtor looked around, oohing and ahhing at the kitchen and master bath's pretty things. I went upstairs to find a giant unfinished room with a plywood floor, exposed studs, and no wiring, just waiting to become my perfect man room. I cared very little about the rest of the house after Heather told me that I could "have" that room as mine. Sold.<br /><br />Even though I may have been a little naive in thinking that fellow poor people had or wanted wine cellars, I possessed incredible foresight in staking out 400 square feet of the house as mine. I didn't know, as I do now, that "our" house is just "ours" because I have a key and I live here. I live in Heather's house. "Our" house would not have fourteen decorative pillows on our bed or towels that I'm not allowed to touch. Somehow, even then, I knew that my man room would be my haven in our home. My only space.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpwxkkd1PWGLaOdFSXA6D8D42DROGlkt3jpuXnIDkYZO9maPlr3WpMpyUIAXhz2bUGVa6u1IT3JJeCZssXsTjprVVRaTH-_KMgrcS-qOKKTQ3qJ9PSjGKJIA1nqiitQEpSg2n3L2Se1A_/s1600-h/DSC_0669.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpwxkkd1PWGLaOdFSXA6D8D42DROGlkt3jpuXnIDkYZO9maPlr3WpMpyUIAXhz2bUGVa6u1IT3JJeCZssXsTjprVVRaTH-_KMgrcS-qOKKTQ3qJ9PSjGKJIA1nqiitQEpSg2n3L2Se1A_/s320/DSC_0669.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443166535627388066" border="0" /></a><br />I can put dead animals on the wall.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jM5lBjBznP-rvIX2svbPP73GNFc5ivyi1j05bPkJk4LASlzNOmojd0a4LOhFBe_YZFrtZyn002vjOVjbBqZ7oirENqByfn2yUJM-6T2kkBK9JbVC2XwZrGLPMJ5gy8OVQx9F4EgaEv1W/s1600-h/DSC_0667.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jM5lBjBznP-rvIX2svbPP73GNFc5ivyi1j05bPkJk4LASlzNOmojd0a4LOhFBe_YZFrtZyn002vjOVjbBqZ7oirENqByfn2yUJM-6T2kkBK9JbVC2XwZrGLPMJ5gy8OVQx9F4EgaEv1W/s320/DSC_0667.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443167436449750994" border="0" /></a><br />(That was self defense, by the way)<br /><br />It's the only place in the house suitable for fish pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmHHB0J7x9rM0dM-iP30zCtvlgFqUmV28Jnypn2gwiKuxW-94gULkpk4Majzw2jhsardmNiYfq98AAqeduthyQNyvEEidZ2Ee7Lwyndk2PYW8nUFxIVl7zH2Zg5IIV604NzWCGg4gg92f/s1600-h/IMG_1055.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmHHB0J7x9rM0dM-iP30zCtvlgFqUmV28Jnypn2gwiKuxW-94gULkpk4Majzw2jhsardmNiYfq98AAqeduthyQNyvEEidZ2Ee7Lwyndk2PYW8nUFxIVl7zH2Zg5IIV604NzWCGg4gg92f/s320/IMG_1055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444602497178704946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTk6pWHZa_MrEwMbbH8bc-hTiTzkdKHAj2opbOEvCpMf2PK2BKhheV0Pwm8Yy0JcJnQj1C4H90ubh8HzLt_ZTkobsoT6bYlkxsag7HLqgfjzROTO2vRrOgQ96EeCN-QPdVyI228Wz6UkM7/s1600-h/IMG_1054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTk6pWHZa_MrEwMbbH8bc-hTiTzkdKHAj2opbOEvCpMf2PK2BKhheV0Pwm8Yy0JcJnQj1C4H90ubh8HzLt_ZTkobsoT6bYlkxsag7HLqgfjzROTO2vRrOgQ96EeCN-QPdVyI228Wz6UkM7/s320/IMG_1054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444602491573919730" border="0" /></a><br />I even have dogs playing pool.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_AIHor2IUXNdAiBIBRFoFjOqpo6z-IUhWcoL1Ueg3mKZ4C-w-iic3wwIhnBSmZo8dNLojtPWcSMrZxPm16Dt1UzzM375ypDOG_FWhX1WP67b-3yzZ3vqLg28rM33ePNrgygArkSv7U7W/s1600-h/IMG_1052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_AIHor2IUXNdAiBIBRFoFjOqpo6z-IUhWcoL1Ueg3mKZ4C-w-iic3wwIhnBSmZo8dNLojtPWcSMrZxPm16Dt1UzzM375ypDOG_FWhX1WP67b-3yzZ3vqLg28rM33ePNrgygArkSv7U7W/s320/IMG_1052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444602502209528818" border="0" /></a><br />Those silly dogs. See - He got hit in the nose. They slay me. <br /><br />When we found out number four on the way, Heather and I started talking about housing options. We could move to a bigger house (Option "A"). We could turn part of the man room into a guest room (which is a must have for Heather's mom) by putting in a pullout couch and getting rid of the bar (Option "B"). Or we could add a bathroom and closets to the man room, turning it into a big bedroom for the girls (Option "C"). We weighed our options, including the prospect of marketing a house with a romper room for a dining room, and decided to use my man room to make our 3/2.5 into a 4/3.5. <br /><br />It was my idea, granted as an Option "C," but it didn't take long for Heather to decide "C" was the way to go. I had actually thrown out Options "A" and "B" first without "C," but I accidentally started the conversation by saying we had three options. Heather put me on cross and pulled "C" out of me when no third option was forthcoming. I was planning on keeping "C" in my back pocket, but that's what I get for marrying a lawyer. Bye-bye man room.<br /><br />We're going to put the three kids in the new bedroom when it's done and make their old room a nursery for the baby. Then we'll split up rooms by sex when the baby is older and on the same schedule as the kids, with the girls getting the new room and the boy(s) getting the room the kids are in now. The guest room / Heather's mom's room stays intact.<br /><br />The first twelve feet of this corner will be two closets:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJLoedlGcQFNQOJfAhGu-iWWU544hk3j77cHZ_Njmq4n7e3hDlYj9gagLB3WkR8EZjqOBBUapkxbEhLrObZ-qKyy6hlL8ZG3J-M2QEHw-bb5FZoK16Msi1n0vXAJBjerlpd0aT48LJlAr/s1600-h/DSC_0671.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJLoedlGcQFNQOJfAhGu-iWWU544hk3j77cHZ_Njmq4n7e3hDlYj9gagLB3WkR8EZjqOBBUapkxbEhLrObZ-qKyy6hlL8ZG3J-M2QEHw-bb5FZoK16Msi1n0vXAJBjerlpd0aT48LJlAr/s320/DSC_0671.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443166545709691666" border="0" /></a><br />This corner will be the bathroom, with be the shower/tub against the far wall and the length of the bathroom coming out as far as the closets opposite the newly formed hallway:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx9iX4efRTTyExKUsvnYqMAF310RcvjT8DQzrDdWW6uO3vY6iuIqTvWOC0ZCfb5lWlbzD4_kr4WC16_1vzQZL6ftg8Py6-OFvY1b1BN9_5QI-POly8nuAWGqCIwcmMiSe1QGB8Wr-pVr4/s1600-h/DSC_0670.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx9iX4efRTTyExKUsvnYqMAF310RcvjT8DQzrDdWW6uO3vY6iuIqTvWOC0ZCfb5lWlbzD4_kr4WC16_1vzQZL6ftg8Py6-OFvY1b1BN9_5QI-POly8nuAWGqCIwcmMiSe1QGB8Wr-pVr4/s320/DSC_0670.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443166540245379954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Man Room: 2003-2010. Rest in peace my friend. I'll pour out a little of my 40 for you. Not in the house, of course. Maybe outside. I'll have to ask Heather.</p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-17178812016667495702010-02-27T21:55:00.003-06:002010-02-27T22:01:10.965-06:00Shoes Please - I Just Need Shoes<p>Rosemary has two unique characteristics among the kids: 1) she's a hoarder; and, 2) she's a shoe addict.<br /><br />If she goes into the playroom to bring out toys, she brings an arm full - all that she can carry. When it's time to get in the bath and I have bath toys lined up on the bathroom floor, Piper and Henry grab a duck or other toy to take in the bath, and Rosemary gets an arm full of ducks and tries not to drop any on the way into the bath. She acts like those are the only ducks on earth and she'll never have the chance to grab ducks again.<br /><br />As for the shoes, she wants her own shoes on almost all of the time, and she's generally obsessed with shoes. She likes to scratch my dress shoes with her fingernail, especially when they are freshly shined. This disturbs me to no end because I have a bit of a shoe thing myself. Not a freaky break-into-someone's-house-to-steal-shoes thing, but I like shoes more than most men.<br /><br />The other day, Rosemary was upset about something. Henry probably took something from her; I don't remember. I was sitting at the bar and I picked Rosemary up to comfort her. I hadn't noticed, but there were three pairs of kids' shoes sitting on the bar next to my laptop. Rosemary was pouting. And she started picking up shoes. Each time she picked up a shoe, I could feel little waves of happiness roll over her. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlFT5uk_h7QahAHiGbRJiO9_hYW9Sc_wYEFeT7mv89Z4yyr2FnCSadx-ykbSSAzXW1voukNnFFlzkiiV8fNwXO5-3D_XZyIyAjvDpSbrpADi6ZHm1iewLbX_Fl2UCpMES_v2kXsDajMBl/s1600-h/IMG_1014_trim.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlFT5uk_h7QahAHiGbRJiO9_hYW9Sc_wYEFeT7mv89Z4yyr2FnCSadx-ykbSSAzXW1voukNnFFlzkiiV8fNwXO5-3D_XZyIyAjvDpSbrpADi6ZHm1iewLbX_Fl2UCpMES_v2kXsDajMBl/s320/IMG_1014_trim.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439049107811844226" border="0" /></a><br />She was able to get five of the six shoes on the bar and then couldn't reach for any more without dropping a shoe, so she just sat content with five of the six shoes that were on the bar. Just sitting in my lap holding shoes. That's all she needs.<br /><br />I don't know much about kids, but I'm sure this isn't totally normal. If Heather and I didn't both have OCD tendencies, I might be concerned with Rosemary's quirks. But really, how can I even be phased by her behavior when I have a couple of these in my closet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A_zHlhVOMD5f1x1uB2uVqTuoo2UBbad_Lft3aSw-QA2b1yXG2QxpsnRIqprCO61P1GKFsP8pKHWmDpWD2kjThWskGAnYMHk0YSl65qa2-iudLwT9an45Vq6J7SwHEAGJThF73umhd8Ky/s1600-h/IMG_1019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A_zHlhVOMD5f1x1uB2uVqTuoo2UBbad_Lft3aSw-QA2b1yXG2QxpsnRIqprCO61P1GKFsP8pKHWmDpWD2kjThWskGAnYMHk0YSl65qa2-iudLwT9an45Vq6J7SwHEAGJThF73umhd8Ky/s320/IMG_1019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439052637161194866" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p>I won't uncover the real crazy by showing the dress shirt rack above the dress shoe rack with its shirts lined up by color. <br /><br />Given that I would pull a Rain Man if someone snuck a blue shirt into the white shirt zone or misplaced one of my shoe trees, I'd say that Rosemary's little shoe thing is pretty much in line with the household norm. Who am I to get all judgmental and not indulge Rosemary's odd habits. So I will. And she'll get lots of shoes. And hoard them. And line them up in rows. And then, when she goes off to college and one of her roommates messes with her shoes, she'll pull a Rain Man and freak everybody out. Then she'll be pissed at me for not curbing her crazy when I had the chance. But I don't care. My little Rosemary gets shoes. She needs them.Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4871300526369546103.post-53828811080557592902010-02-20T22:55:00.001-06:002010-02-20T22:57:21.105-06:00Nice Weather - Finally!<p>The weather in Birmingham was beautiful today. It's been cold and/or rainy every weekend that I can recall. Today was sunny and in the mid-60s. <br /><br />The nice weather came just in time. Heather took a spa trip this weekend, so I was flying solo with the kids. A nice weekend outside with the kids on my own can be a little tricky, bit it's a treat. Not that a weekend cooped up inside with bored angry kids isn't a treat, mind you; it's just better out there.<br /><br />We took the opportunity to go to the (drum roll please) . . . zoo! We've been to the zoo so many times, I'm certain the kids have seen more giraffes and lions in their life than they have dogs and cats. It's just hard to beat the zoo for a place that accommodates a side-by-side triple stroller and has things for kids and adults to see outside.<br /><br />We did the usual tour of the world's animals and took a cruise through the "kids zoo," which is a hands-on barn / petting zoo. I think this is a barn llama.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkNuOTYwWKL2dp_e04vaOYXdgr0kutJh6zWLxag4utet66721eKBBKIv_dioettLy1pNUPmhlhweeO5O0VTvY-ujQ5W0o23LTpO6JQwmzWVRvNSx6UW-EdNUSxD7s-zWZqJ7oJdmIEJTn/s1600-h/IMG_1022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkNuOTYwWKL2dp_e04vaOYXdgr0kutJh6zWLxag4utet66721eKBBKIv_dioettLy1pNUPmhlhweeO5O0VTvY-ujQ5W0o23LTpO6JQwmzWVRvNSx6UW-EdNUSxD7s-zWZqJ7oJdmIEJTn/s320/IMG_1022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440536011580666450" border="0" /></a><br />Whatever it is, it needs a toothbrush and some Crest White Strips. That grill is brutal. I saw it try to bite a little girl after her parents picked her up to pet it. The little girl freaked out. I didn't need that ugly Austin Powers looking bastard to lunge at us to know it wasn't our friend. Some people just have to test it.<br /><br />We got up close with a peacock who was wandering around the sidewalks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AS2iKeDpT0PvJystYU6BWDe5qyI1x-5l9Ux7dqyYSqqpvbOZwVnDUYs_Gqu6XxfEZHJUm0RHPrPFRn1Oi98W35exVOCjrVZJ0zimyYKTvyxEvfJpGveboZx5UuMc_TX0SA0vIcdc00Ks/s1600-h/IMG_1025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AS2iKeDpT0PvJystYU6BWDe5qyI1x-5l9Ux7dqyYSqqpvbOZwVnDUYs_Gqu6XxfEZHJUm0RHPrPFRn1Oi98W35exVOCjrVZJ0zimyYKTvyxEvfJpGveboZx5UuMc_TX0SA0vIcdc00Ks/s320/IMG_1025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440536005001413202" border="0" /></a><br />I didn't know this before, but peacocks have large talons. I noticed them right after I took the picture. I think a peacock could so some damage if it wanted to - - say, if you snuck up behind it with a four foot wide, bright red stroller carrying three handsy kids. After we made our way by, it went after a another kid. He looked OK physically. Mentally, not so much. <br /><br />We had two up-close and personal "When Animals Attack" moments today. I've never really thought about the assumption of the risk you take by being at a zoo around animals. I get the part about assuming the risk of being hit by a foul ball when I go to a baseball game, but I sort of expect the more dangerous animals at a zoo to be somewhere where they won't maul me or the kids. Then again, maybe peacock and llama attacks aren't as dangerous as they look.<br /><br />Surprisingly, the zoo wasn't as crowded as it usually is on a sweltering summer day. The big bonus of the zoo not being hot or crowded is that the kids got to play in the fountain / play area without any 140 pound 8 year olds giving them a flying forearm shiver while charging through the water.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQDmdukdU16fZFEKtoCTAMYLN8dpIgPFIWOIiMLRTzxxdqWPL8eK-xf6e4zRcKlPGj0rWDVDc7BEkptkZ9g2ljUwMXIKNxztWr9YiTW1rGCyj5jEzTh_-sVnSyKkBMvBzu-yNN4Gvd8k1/s1600-h/IMG_1040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQDmdukdU16fZFEKtoCTAMYLN8dpIgPFIWOIiMLRTzxxdqWPL8eK-xf6e4zRcKlPGj0rWDVDc7BEkptkZ9g2ljUwMXIKNxztWr9YiTW1rGCyj5jEzTh_-sVnSyKkBMvBzu-yNN4Gvd8k1/s320/IMG_1040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440531491382795394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCd-pRLfNTsV3WO2BP76W1l-vDLU2HyFh-4MZ_zdf6cXjqReGGyvYyI2sO4TQvKCsiqG0TNJAKPm-INqySgDThHqbWKJ9jIEcDitgWuBmf6J6TVkRUchwZDpJ1ULlt-xSHkNuc4CnUvukU/s1600-h/IMG_1029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCd-pRLfNTsV3WO2BP76W1l-vDLU2HyFh-4MZ_zdf6cXjqReGGyvYyI2sO4TQvKCsiqG0TNJAKPm-INqySgDThHqbWKJ9jIEcDitgWuBmf6J6TVkRUchwZDpJ1ULlt-xSHkNuc4CnUvukU/s320/IMG_1029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440535998000514978" border="0" /></a><br />I had always thought the floor of the fountain area was concrete, but it's actually little bits of rubber.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfT0mIWjZ4XjMCqsL4MtW446vlAgEOtwDTcCXpp2v9GvWA0LVec3QRDcjk0YVF4BIhvubwkwNBlVIrFZc1oB-zRpDQmxWWYCRkhyphenhyphenzzEf18A2rFPHPYRnjiywnfs3jmEno43bRxiIE-DeOE/s1600-h/IMG_1031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfT0mIWjZ4XjMCqsL4MtW446vlAgEOtwDTcCXpp2v9GvWA0LVec3QRDcjk0YVF4BIhvubwkwNBlVIrFZc1oB-zRpDQmxWWYCRkhyphenhyphenzzEf18A2rFPHPYRnjiywnfs3jmEno43bRxiIE-DeOE/s320/IMG_1031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440535991321113906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEHvY0NFB-sN8IoEkTLW2JosquRc4N2vNXsz626wgBHczLqhaGVZ0a5Hp5gCb9kwSM6FY_gbs-S4RHCGI3cjp8FDLQOhvut27ey1E43l8wLw-alNSjiLHZPfXz0gA5EoJP5bwofCNqal8/s1600-h/IMG_1030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEHvY0NFB-sN8IoEkTLW2JosquRc4N2vNXsz626wgBHczLqhaGVZ0a5Hp5gCb9kwSM6FY_gbs-S4RHCGI3cjp8FDLQOhvut27ey1E43l8wLw-alNSjiLHZPfXz0gA5EoJP5bwofCNqal8/s320/IMG_1030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440533558473723458" border="0" /></a><br />If I was MC Hammer, I would put one of these in our back yard.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTU9Scf0D4NPJELab5IXSNrABNFi7QBp1luv0U6U2nKJNzT1J-X_mFKUX4E6rrcio-iy4Hu2m9rOHIoIT-BszdhWLTVUkuEp9mB6-zLv50R4NaKeK_Q18lkJPArKei78VBqgxXp9OIhU0/s1600-h/IMG_1034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTU9Scf0D4NPJELab5IXSNrABNFi7QBp1luv0U6U2nKJNzT1J-X_mFKUX4E6rrcio-iy4Hu2m9rOHIoIT-BszdhWLTVUkuEp9mB6-zLv50R4NaKeK_Q18lkJPArKei78VBqgxXp9OIhU0/s320/IMG_1034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440533548392834946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4Zi3MEd4eJ1soVLJE_TADbRj9F2t2JqtamqeoidekUGYi2ssLMilp7KaHwjt9rPjxwroI_UGbjwHhj6vjlM9RJP-ar6xoTSTl1iyKiRM4jmDHnHtkMjZMDhbCp8oAJAu61UMeVA1UYsF/s1600-h/IMG_1035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4Zi3MEd4eJ1soVLJE_TADbRj9F2t2JqtamqeoidekUGYi2ssLMilp7KaHwjt9rPjxwroI_UGbjwHhj6vjlM9RJP-ar6xoTSTl1iyKiRM4jmDHnHtkMjZMDhbCp8oAJAu61UMeVA1UYsF/s320/IMG_1035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440533539323026418" border="0" /></a><br />Now that I know it's rubber, I might let the kids play in the fountain when it's 100 degrees - depending on the size and speed of the kids competing for the water, of course.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYYCvB7LBGl1KvNY-cdKF8fqcCZ2nhQcsexiW2FtxJWz0zNUFXGkx4SdHv2LfUKCZyGNp0fDc8HA1sc0bA3ABt86nGtShE0UU6AvrCzeffB0EXMLd_ufJhvacGzsMm8PtK09edvJ-LYAj/s1600-h/IMG_1036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYYCvB7LBGl1KvNY-cdKF8fqcCZ2nhQcsexiW2FtxJWz0zNUFXGkx4SdHv2LfUKCZyGNp0fDc8HA1sc0bA3ABt86nGtShE0UU6AvrCzeffB0EXMLd_ufJhvacGzsMm8PtK09edvJ-LYAj/s320/IMG_1036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440533529205005586" border="0" /></a><br />Henry was the only one who found the play area behind the non-functional fountain. I was thinking it looked more interesting than a thing that might be a fountain if it was turned on, but I still know very little about the decision making process of a toddler. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLfrSvBfFsgcxx3c2Spb0UyhGWlU4tlyOBpd-b9Eu7ndEcLsz9k1CRffsuss00HEsHRNlsdy3enTJD4wX46PhdWis35QnzwpxpKnLzddHEUycIj1hoL0XZ98BsDC-y46GMLwLyrbRKax-/s1600-h/IMG_1043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLfrSvBfFsgcxx3c2Spb0UyhGWlU4tlyOBpd-b9Eu7ndEcLsz9k1CRffsuss00HEsHRNlsdy3enTJD4wX46PhdWis35QnzwpxpKnLzddHEUycIj1hoL0XZ98BsDC-y46GMLwLyrbRKax-/s320/IMG_1043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440531479519918018" border="0" /></a><br />It was a good day. Hopefully we'll get some more nice weather next weekend and we can do it all over again with Heather - sans llama and peacock attacks. <br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07092205085260284422noreply@blogger.com4