Why is it that all my posts lately have been bitching about one thing or another? It's not that I never have anything go good in my life, it's more that I need to vent about the crap that doesn't go well. Take this weekend for example, I had a relatively nice memorial day weekend. I got some work done on the landscaping around the house which made me feel good with a sense of accomplishment. We got up to the lake for a day which was alright. And we spent Monday with my mom celebrating her birthday and memorial day which were all the good things... but along with the good... Damn.
First and foremost it was hot. Not the gradual getting a little warm then hot but instant blast furnace. I was working outside for most of the day Saturday in the heat. I really don't mind getting a good sweat on if I am getting the job done, but I look forward to the relief of a little Air Conditioning every once in a while for a break. We turned on the AC Saturday morning to just cool the house a little bit, and waited and waited. It turns out the Mother F&%$#$* AC isn't working. Never having owned a heat pump I really don't know how these thing work (or don't work) or that they are tied into the AC unit as well. You wouldn't think a thing called a HEAT pump would have to do with cooling, but anyway. When we bought this house our home inspector told us that the Heat Pump wasn't working correctly, but according to the guy (that the former home owner hired to look it over) it was working just fine. Luckily we already had the guy scheduled to look at the heat pump on Tuesday so we were already on the schedule. He found that we had a bad coil and a system with no Freon at all and it had been that way for quite some time and burned it out. Damn. Yeah we got a home warranty with the new house so all the repairs only cost us $100, but still I would love to get my hands on the SOB that said it was working correctly. We dealt with the same crap at Pine Valley when we moved in there we had to replace AC condenser, water heater, and some furnace parts. But that was a 30 year old house, this one is 10 years old!
So Saturday through today (Wednesday) we still don't have any AC (they need 2-3 days to get another coil). I can deal with the heat, but it's the kids that I worry about getting real hot and trying to sleep in the heat. So far they have done pretty well with the addition of another fan upstairs.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
aaahhhh memories
While talking to everyone at work about their weekend plans for memorial day, alot of them commented about going to the lake. Unfortunately my mom sold our lake cottage a few years ago, so we usually end up going up the in-laws campground for the day. It's not quite the same thing as being lakefront, but hey its a place to go without having to cut grass or pay for it.
Anyway all this lake talk got me thinking about one of the best memory or "lake stories" that I have. One weekend there was a big group of us up at the cottage, probably around 6 people with no parents around and alot of alcohol. I think we were all 21 years old, but let's just say we were. We were just having a good time joking around and drinking beer when we got the idea to lay out in the sun a little bit and maybe go for a swim. We all got our swim suits on and proceed down to the lakefront, whereupon Paul's girlfriend at the time takes off her wrap unveiling a string bikini (almost a thong). All of us guy's jaws drop as she proceeded to lay out in the sun. String bikini's should only be worn by girls who are authorized to wear something like that, and she was VERY authorized. But with any fun time there is always backlash... The neighbors (with sticks up their butts) complained to my mom, which got us a talking to, not about the drinking, but about the girl in the skimpy swimsuit. Anyway, late into the night after a full day of sun, surf, and drink we were all sitting around playing cards and I was real tired. Much to the needling of the fellow members of the group I decided to head to bed and crash probably around 2:00am or so. I get up the following morning and see that everyone else is crashed in the other bedrooms and assorted couches in the cottage. Finally around noon I see some movement from the dead. I ask my brother how late they stayed up and he informs me of the story of the night. Early in the morning, probably around 3:00am they decided to go for a late night pontoon ride. They get halfway around the lake (it's a giant circle basically) and one of the girls on the boat has to get rid of some of the beer that she has been drinking. Unlike a guy she just can't go over the side and they decide to stop. My brother turns off the engine so she can jump into the water and do her thing. After she gets back into the boat he tries to restart the motor and it won't start. So here they are, at the other side of the lake, 3:30am so they can't just swim ashore and go to another cottage for help. They decide to swim the pontoon back across the lake !!! So they take turns in the water, pulling and pushing the pontoon across the lake. No one in this group was in any condition (physically or mentally) for that kind of exercise. I think they finally made it back to the cottage around 5:00am, so now I understood why they all were asleap until noon.
The funny part is that I went down to the pontoon the next morning and it started up on the first try. I think my brother flipped me off.
Anyway all this lake talk got me thinking about one of the best memory or "lake stories" that I have. One weekend there was a big group of us up at the cottage, probably around 6 people with no parents around and alot of alcohol. I think we were all 21 years old, but let's just say we were. We were just having a good time joking around and drinking beer when we got the idea to lay out in the sun a little bit and maybe go for a swim. We all got our swim suits on and proceed down to the lakefront, whereupon Paul's girlfriend at the time takes off her wrap unveiling a string bikini (almost a thong). All of us guy's jaws drop as she proceeded to lay out in the sun. String bikini's should only be worn by girls who are authorized to wear something like that, and she was VERY authorized. But with any fun time there is always backlash... The neighbors (with sticks up their butts) complained to my mom, which got us a talking to, not about the drinking, but about the girl in the skimpy swimsuit. Anyway, late into the night after a full day of sun, surf, and drink we were all sitting around playing cards and I was real tired. Much to the needling of the fellow members of the group I decided to head to bed and crash probably around 2:00am or so. I get up the following morning and see that everyone else is crashed in the other bedrooms and assorted couches in the cottage. Finally around noon I see some movement from the dead. I ask my brother how late they stayed up and he informs me of the story of the night. Early in the morning, probably around 3:00am they decided to go for a late night pontoon ride. They get halfway around the lake (it's a giant circle basically) and one of the girls on the boat has to get rid of some of the beer that she has been drinking. Unlike a guy she just can't go over the side and they decide to stop. My brother turns off the engine so she can jump into the water and do her thing. After she gets back into the boat he tries to restart the motor and it won't start. So here they are, at the other side of the lake, 3:30am so they can't just swim ashore and go to another cottage for help. They decide to swim the pontoon back across the lake !!! So they take turns in the water, pulling and pushing the pontoon across the lake. No one in this group was in any condition (physically or mentally) for that kind of exercise. I think they finally made it back to the cottage around 5:00am, so now I understood why they all were asleap until noon.
The funny part is that I went down to the pontoon the next morning and it started up on the first try. I think my brother flipped me off.
Monday, May 22, 2006
I LOVE WORK !!!!
Jenny just called me to discuss the trials and tribulations of our heat pump/furnace p.o.s. I could tell that she was holding Andrew with his cooing and general noises that a 7 month old makes. I hear William, the three year old, in the background also. All of a sudden I hear the stereo turn on in the background AT FULL VOLUME. I can vaguely hear Jenny yell at William as she makes a mad dash to the stereo to turn it off. After the stereo is turned off, I hear the noise of both boys screaming and crying since it has scared the crap out of both of them. I hope someday my three year old understands that when you turn the big knob all the way to the right it gets kinda loud. So Jenny gets back on the phone with kids screaming and crying, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria. I tell her to call me back when everyone gets calmed down since it is a huge task with a phone in her ear to. As I hang up, I am sitting here in my little office area where the biggest problem of my day is if my orange will be tasty or not. I have been on the phone a couple of times when the conversation started "Do you know what your son did today...." and I am thankful that I am at work. Actually I am thankful and appreciate what Jenny has to deal with every day without killing the three year old.
She also called to tell me that he turned the thermostat in the house as high as it would go so it got a little warm in the house.... sigh....is it time for lunch yet?
She also called to tell me that he turned the thermostat in the house as high as it would go so it got a little warm in the house.... sigh....is it time for lunch yet?
Friday, May 19, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
King Kong vs. The Corpse Bride
My wife called me at work Friday wanting to know what the plan for the weekend was. Since we were amazingly free from stuff we actually decided to rent a movie. Also she wanted to know what I wanted for dinner. I said "I don't care.. whatever", whereupon Jen gets mad at me because she feals that she always decides whats for dinner and I never make a decision. I see myself as easy to please in not really caring what we have for dinner, she sees this as something annoying that I do. The choices are meatloaf or go to the store and buy something. So I pony up and say (in a manly voice) "Make me meatloaf woman!!".. or actually it was "Meatloaf please". She is very impressed by the strong opintion on meatloaf and praises me for making a decision. So I get home and notice that the oven isn't on.. hmmm. I ask Jen where the meatloaf is, and she informs me that she decided not to make it. So let me get this straight, she asks me what I want, has me make a decision, and then does what she wants anyway? aahhhh the married life. We ended up packing up the whole crew and headed for Hollywood Video and Rented King Kong and The Corpse Bride.
Dinner was provided by Kroger.
We decided to watch the corpse bride first (since we didn't have the 3 hours to watch King Kong). It was the typical Tim Burton/Danny Elfman freaky, weird, eerie type of movie. Good music and cinematography, but shotty story in my opinion. Overall not a bad film, but just not something that I usually go for (Jenny's Choice).
We finally attempted to watch King Kong on Sunday night. Overall I was kinda disappointed in the movie. I am a huge monster movie watcher, but usually the 50's and 60's time era of monster movies. I don't know if it was the fact that I knew the other versions of the movie from the 50's and the 80's, but I just didn't get the same feeling after watching this movie. Had a lot of similar plot points and but filled in with a lot of crap that wasn't really necessary making it a 3 hour yawn. I am not a big fan of all the quick cuts and action stuff, and I thought quite a few times that the girl would be dead with the way Kong was thrashing her about. I could go on and on why I didn't like it, but I will just say overall I didn't really like it that much and won't be buying the DVD. Of course I said the same thing about Godzilla back in the 90's, but I find that movie to be kinda entertaining now, but nothing compared to the classics
By the way I am still waiting for my meatloaf.... sigh
Dinner was provided by Kroger.
We decided to watch the corpse bride first (since we didn't have the 3 hours to watch King Kong). It was the typical Tim Burton/Danny Elfman freaky, weird, eerie type of movie. Good music and cinematography, but shotty story in my opinion. Overall not a bad film, but just not something that I usually go for (Jenny's Choice).
We finally attempted to watch King Kong on Sunday night. Overall I was kinda disappointed in the movie. I am a huge monster movie watcher, but usually the 50's and 60's time era of monster movies. I don't know if it was the fact that I knew the other versions of the movie from the 50's and the 80's, but I just didn't get the same feeling after watching this movie. Had a lot of similar plot points and but filled in with a lot of crap that wasn't really necessary making it a 3 hour yawn. I am not a big fan of all the quick cuts and action stuff, and I thought quite a few times that the girl would be dead with the way Kong was thrashing her about. I could go on and on why I didn't like it, but I will just say overall I didn't really like it that much and won't be buying the DVD. Of course I said the same thing about Godzilla back in the 90's, but I find that movie to be kinda entertaining now, but nothing compared to the classics
By the way I am still waiting for my meatloaf.... sigh
Thursday, May 11, 2006
This is freaking amazing
I saw this video today. It's a computer animation of Neil Peart of Rush drumming to the song "YYZ". Aside from being a huge Rush Fan, it's just real good computer animation. The animation not only synchs up with actual drumming in real time, but has alot of Neil's mannerisms when he is drumming. The wild part is that this was done by a guy who is just a fan (with waayyy to much time on his hands) and not some big computer animation company.
It's a pretty big file so don't try to watch unless you have high speed connections.
QuickTime: 39.3mb
http://ns1.wfdns.com/yyz_video.mov
Windows Media Player: 43.5mb
http://www.bobbysbrane.com/animation%20fun/animations/YYZ%20video-Rush.wmv
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Scary Dining
I was just looking over some information for our Sandusky vacation and noticed a disturbing trend. The restaurants in Sandusky are scary. Would you want to eat at a place called the ANGRY TROUT? (http://www.angrytrout.com/) I have heard of an angry clam before, but that's another story. So, if the angry trout scares you away, try to pay a visit to the ANGRY BULL (http://www.angrybullsteakhouse.com/). Why are all these animals in Sandusky angry? Need another example, how about the SCREAMING MONKEY restaurant (http://www.clarionsandusky.com/). In case you don't like any of those, how about the THIRSTY PONY? I can see that the pony is pissed because it is thirsty, but what is up with the trout, bulls, and monkeys?
Other fine establishments include FOUR MONKS ITALIAN RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE, MAW'S PLACE (classy), SHELL SHUCKERS, AND GITCHIGOOMIE GRILLE.
It's fun saying Gitchiegoomie isn't it?
Other fine establishments include FOUR MONKS ITALIAN RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE, MAW'S PLACE (classy), SHELL SHUCKERS, AND GITCHIGOOMIE GRILLE.
It's fun saying Gitchiegoomie isn't it?
Monday, May 08, 2006
Guys night
Had a guys night Friday night. I tried not to overthink or overplan the night so I could just have some guys over and do whatever. With guys night I wasn't worried about cleaning the entire house and picking up all of the toys as much as if it was a family activity which was nice. Jenny took the kids out for a little while making it a more relaxing night. At last count I was expecting around 7 to 10 guys, so I got cards and dice out and made sure the queso was hot and the beer was cold... and then they started dropping like flies. Brett stayed home to help his wife with sick kids, Chris wasn't feeling well, Mike had to babysit so he could have pickup truck privledges (mulch time of the year), Nate had a better offer, the vampire had to work, and Scott was never invited I found out later. Jeff couldn't make it due to his wife getting her black belt so I TOTALLY understand that or he would get his butt kicked. I was planning on a bunch of guys doing different things at different tables, but it actually just ended up being 4 of us sitting around the table, drinking beer, and telling stories. My cousin Marc had to leave and play tennis but was replaced a short time later by Marcus bearing what could only be said as being a fine assortment of chips and beer. I asked everyone to bring a snack, so Marcus being Marcus he brings 6 bags of different types of chips and two 6-packs of different types of beer. The beer was very tasty and his assortment of chips was really great. He had some really spicy pretzel stuff that was de-lic-ious, THANK YOU MARCUS!! We ended up talking until after midnight and finally broke things up around 12:30am. It's never a good thing when you loose count of how many beers you have had since it probably means that you have had too many, so yes the next morning I was just a little bit hung over. It's been a long time for that I can honestly say. Overall a fun night... I think I will do it again soon.
One bad part of having guys night on a Friday night is that all weekend long my days got thrown off since I am used to doing that sort of activity on Saturday nights. So all day Saturday I thought it was Sunday. Sunday morning I wake up to see the clock at 7:30 in the morning. Thinking it's Monday, I say "SH**", shoot out of bed and I am heading for the shower when Jenny asks what I am doing and informs me that it is Sunday. I wonder how much I would have gotten ready before realizing it was Sunday unless Jenny had informed me.
One bad part of having guys night on a Friday night is that all weekend long my days got thrown off since I am used to doing that sort of activity on Saturday nights. So all day Saturday I thought it was Sunday. Sunday morning I wake up to see the clock at 7:30 in the morning. Thinking it's Monday, I say "SH**", shoot out of bed and I am heading for the shower when Jenny asks what I am doing and informs me that it is Sunday. I wonder how much I would have gotten ready before realizing it was Sunday unless Jenny had informed me.
Friday, May 05, 2006
I am being oppressed
(written in lighthearted manor, Jenny)
Jen and I were at the store last night buying supplies for my "guys night" tonight. I was buying the regular stuff that guys would eat like nuts, chips and candy. I was trying to buy stuff a guy would like without going nuts since I told everyone to bring a snack, so who knows what will show up. As we were checking out I notice that there are cigars in the checkout lane... what the perfect guy thing for playing poker or whatever. Now I don't smoke, but I have been known to puff on a cigar every once in a blue moon. As I go to pick up a small box of cigars I hear a voice say "NO" behind me. It actually made me stop in my tracks. My wife just forbad me to buy any cigars!!!! I felt the oppression of my fellow men at that moment in a world run by women. I had felt like my mom just told me that I couldn't buy the hubba bubba gum at the checkout lane when I was 9 years old. My mind started to whirl, well, I thought I will just buy them and "sneak" them into the house, but thought later that is a pretty immature thing to do, and again something that I would have done when I was 9 years old. Then I thought, wait a minute, I still have a couple in my golf bag from the last time I played golf, I will just pull them out tonight. But reflecting on that idea I thought against it since who knows if they would be any good after being in my golf bag for around 7 months and in and out of storage during our move.
I don't "need" the cigars and it's a pretty unhealthy thing to do. I used to harp on my brother who could go for days without cigarettes so he didn't need them either. I know my father in law's cigar smoking really bothers her and makes her worry about him. I want to be around for a long time to see my boys grow up and live a long life so I appreciate Jenny's concern for not letting me buy the cigars just for me to look like a stereotype, but, for that one moment, I felt a bunch of different feelings ranging from anger to oppression to rebellion to appreciation.
Bring on the guys.... I am ready to vent :)
Jen and I were at the store last night buying supplies for my "guys night" tonight. I was buying the regular stuff that guys would eat like nuts, chips and candy. I was trying to buy stuff a guy would like without going nuts since I told everyone to bring a snack, so who knows what will show up. As we were checking out I notice that there are cigars in the checkout lane... what the perfect guy thing for playing poker or whatever. Now I don't smoke, but I have been known to puff on a cigar every once in a blue moon. As I go to pick up a small box of cigars I hear a voice say "NO" behind me. It actually made me stop in my tracks. My wife just forbad me to buy any cigars!!!! I felt the oppression of my fellow men at that moment in a world run by women. I had felt like my mom just told me that I couldn't buy the hubba bubba gum at the checkout lane when I was 9 years old. My mind started to whirl, well, I thought I will just buy them and "sneak" them into the house, but thought later that is a pretty immature thing to do, and again something that I would have done when I was 9 years old. Then I thought, wait a minute, I still have a couple in my golf bag from the last time I played golf, I will just pull them out tonight. But reflecting on that idea I thought against it since who knows if they would be any good after being in my golf bag for around 7 months and in and out of storage during our move.
I don't "need" the cigars and it's a pretty unhealthy thing to do. I used to harp on my brother who could go for days without cigarettes so he didn't need them either. I know my father in law's cigar smoking really bothers her and makes her worry about him. I want to be around for a long time to see my boys grow up and live a long life so I appreciate Jenny's concern for not letting me buy the cigars just for me to look like a stereotype, but, for that one moment, I felt a bunch of different feelings ranging from anger to oppression to rebellion to appreciation.
Bring on the guys.... I am ready to vent :)
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Man I am getting old
I finally got my new glasses on Friday. This is the first time that I got a pair of glasses from somewhere else than my optometrist. In the neverending search to save money I found out that I can go to certain places and my insurance will cover part of the cost. So I never thought I would be going to Sears to get my glasses. I have bought a tool box, a quarter inch socket drive, and washer and dryer, but never glasses.
So as the story goes in case you have forgot, the frames on my glasses broke and so I have been using a pair of glasses that are about 7 years old. I had to wear these glasses for 2 months since my eye doctor only works Saturdays when she feels like it and I did't want to take a day off work to give her $80 for a piece of paper with my perscription on it. During my eye exam she informs me that my eyes have gotten a little worse since the last exam (about 2 years ago). Then she tells me that they aren't bad enough to get bi-focals yet. I said "EXCUSE ME?" what do you mean bi-focals? Yep, I am informed that eventually I will need bi-focal glasses, but probably not for another 10 years or so, but still "crap". I need to start putting my loose change aside to afford Lasik surgury.
Anyway, back to my glasses. I pick up my glasses and put them on and holy crap!! Everything is magnified to the extreme. I can see pretty clear but I am not sure if the magnification effect is due to the fact that my persciption has gotten worse, if it was due to the fact that I had been wearing a pair of 5 year old glasses, or if they messed up my persciption. I have had a couple of days to live with these glasses and I am adjusting to the new lenses. It reminds me of the very first time I got glasses and didn't realize how bad my vision was until I could see.
The good news is that I have a pair of sunglass lenses that I can attach to these glasses so I don't have to worry about contacts, but the bad news is that I have to treat them like gold since they are $100 to replace. I ended up buying the warranty just to give me a break on the price ($10) in the next year..... bi-focals... crap.
So as the story goes in case you have forgot, the frames on my glasses broke and so I have been using a pair of glasses that are about 7 years old. I had to wear these glasses for 2 months since my eye doctor only works Saturdays when she feels like it and I did't want to take a day off work to give her $80 for a piece of paper with my perscription on it. During my eye exam she informs me that my eyes have gotten a little worse since the last exam (about 2 years ago). Then she tells me that they aren't bad enough to get bi-focals yet. I said "EXCUSE ME?" what do you mean bi-focals? Yep, I am informed that eventually I will need bi-focal glasses, but probably not for another 10 years or so, but still "crap". I need to start putting my loose change aside to afford Lasik surgury.
Anyway, back to my glasses. I pick up my glasses and put them on and holy crap!! Everything is magnified to the extreme. I can see pretty clear but I am not sure if the magnification effect is due to the fact that my persciption has gotten worse, if it was due to the fact that I had been wearing a pair of 5 year old glasses, or if they messed up my persciption. I have had a couple of days to live with these glasses and I am adjusting to the new lenses. It reminds me of the very first time I got glasses and didn't realize how bad my vision was until I could see.
The good news is that I have a pair of sunglass lenses that I can attach to these glasses so I don't have to worry about contacts, but the bad news is that I have to treat them like gold since they are $100 to replace. I ended up buying the warranty just to give me a break on the price ($10) in the next year..... bi-focals... crap.
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