Marching Down 2004

The end of 2004 is here. As 2004 was lived in a blaze of fury and the pace doesn't slow enough for me to even type these two sentences much less a year in review.

duty calls...

From the mouths of babes

Mom: "Can we wash your face?"
Amy (2.5 years): "Of course."

A New Day!

Let's start the day off with a PayPal donation link:


This Morning
Still fighting a head cold but feel like I'm on the mend. The house will be packed tonight with 8 pre-teen girls ringing in the New Year. I'm going to need to sleep-in tomorrow!

Simple pleasures and motivation problems

A New Day!

Let's start the day off with a PayPal donation link:


This Morning
You know that feeling when you blow your nose and some of your brain comes out. Yeah, that's the one!

Maybe its the cold but I'm so unfocused and undermotivated today!

Help the South East Asia and tsunamis victoms

Donate direct to the Red Cross through Amazon

All of us at Amazon.com are deeply saddened by the loss of lives resulting from the South Asia earthquake and tsunamis on December 26. We are offering customers the ability to make donations directly to the American Red Cross to aid the evacuation of survivors and the dispersal of first aid. One hundred percent of your donation will go to the American Red Cross. You will receive a confirmation e-mail that may be used as a receipt. Thank you in advance for making any donation to help in this time of great need.

Donate with 1-Click to the South Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Relief Efforts here

A New Day!

Let's start the day off with a PayPal donation link:


This Morning
Dropped the dog at the vet the had a most productive time in the office yesterday. Decided to reward myself with some wood chopping when I got home.

The puppy has developed a cyst on her elbow. The drained like 22 milliliters of fluid and will operate when she gets spayed to remove the cyst. Yesterday it occurred to me that was the same leg that Tommy took a plastic baseball bat to and tapped repeatedly before I caught him. His words: "I did it lightly!" Are the two related? Could be. It is just as likely that she banged it on the side of the tub during one of our wrestling matches when I was trying to clean her. Or perhaps she took a bad fall on the hardwoods or concrete floor.

I neglected to emphasize to Tommy to keep her outside until she does her business. She won't defaecate or urinate at the vet. He walked her briefly then brought her inside and a full day's worth of urine ran under the bathroom sink. I blew up but was mostly mad at myself because I continue to forget to caulk the base of that sink. (putting it on calendar now) I spent the next hour cleaning and the early evening on family matters. Never got to the wood and man was it ever cold in the bedroom last night. That wood stove makes all the difference!

Watched some more of the first season of Northern Exposure. This show is great! I need to see if it aired during the year I didn't have a television. I must be the only person in the world to have never seen a single episode.

Got up early this morning and got straight to work! What a great feeling!

A New Day!

Let's start the day off with a PayPal donation link:


This Morning
Spent an hour and a half trying to get Tommy bathed for his 11am appointment. I want to minimize Cathy's interaction and stress with Tommy so I took him to his appointment. Returned at 12:30 to prepare for a 1pm teleconference where I anticipate and ass chewing over the lack of time I put into the project last week and the current state of the work. I need to burn some extra hours this week badly!

I have a check that needs to be in the bank to help make purchases from last week valid but the conference call will likely last from 1 to 2 or 3 and my folks arrive between 2 and 3 (or maybe later if the roads are bad) and I still need to clock 10 hours of work today as well as clean the kitchen and work on my wife's computer. Oh, and cook dinner. I'm sure Tommy will have a breakdown in there somewhere. Each breakdown occupies about an hour of adult time.

(had one of those long post computer crashed issues)

Yesterday was a phenomenal day! Tommy held it together, the kids did not fight or scream and we relaxed hard.

Tommy played his Nintendo DS for what must have been 14-18 hours straight then became grumpy on Sunday.

Noah is thrilled with everything and spent his time running between toys.

Sarah must have misunderstood what she was opening when she opened her cell phone cover because when she came to the actual cell phone she floated to the ceiling then talked for 8 hours (exaggeration). I have never seen her so happy!

Amy saw her play kitchen and spent the day cooking and making a mess.

I could not have asked for a better day!

Done painting

Noah's room is done. Picture later. The polyacrylic cannot be applied until the paint has cured for 7 days. Maybe the polyacrylic is unnecessary. Regardless the room gets assembled tonight! I can always unassemble it for adding the protective top coat.

Today was wonderful! The kids went to the grandparents and opened gifts. Much fun was had by all and the kids had wonderful gifts.

Today was horrible! Tommy's anger, snide comments, beligerence and defiance were off the charts. I came close to yelling at him but think I've maintained.

Room is now properly masked at the ceiling. In a painting project the bulk of your time is spent preping the room with masking and trimming out the edges. I procrastinated putting the masking tape on the border using "the blue paint has to cure" as an excuse but really I was avoiding it because I exaggerated the tedium in my head.

For painting use Ready Mask Painting Tape instead of traditional masking tape. It goes on strong but doesn't remove paint like masking tape that is left on too long would.

 

Santa comes tonight!

It's Christmas Eve! I love this time of year. Christmas carols are fantastic. I had a goal of doing luminaria this year. Perhaps next year I can organize the whole neighborhood. I also want to do caroling from house to house one Christmas Eve. I did that as a child and really enjoyed it! I got my shopping slipped in yesterday. I feel great! The house will come together at the last minute. My wife will stress badly tonight. But tomorrow will be beyond magical!

Merry Christmas to all!

Favorite Christmas song this year: Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt (track 22)

  

The tree is decorated! (yes, I know.. the top has a lighting issue) 

Current state of the room. Needs to have the molding at the top taped so I can finish up there. Needs another coat. Needs a coat of polyeurothene on top of it. This is going to be tight. 

It's starting to look like a light Tennessee marble. Speaking of which, I've ridden horses through one of the quaries used to marbleize some of Washington D.C. I'll have to go back wih camera and show some pictures.

Aaaannnd ACTION!

Received my Microsoft Action Pack yesterday. I'm dying to build a machine and get to playing now! MS CRM server, Mobile Messenging Server and SharePoint server all have me drooling!

Goodbye Google - We will miss your logos

Another competitor for Google is Blingo (which probably uses Google's API). Blingo gives prizes (Ipods etc) along with search results.

The title is facetious.

Over 21?

Why is http://drinksparks.com/ for over 21 only? Oh! I haven't read it yet but I bet this is one of those energy beers! Like mixing uppers and downers. Why not just drink water?

Amy made Lucy festive for the holidays. Lucy mutter "oh the indignity!" 

All lights on! 2 half strands out due to bad bulbs but that's an easy fix. Kids decorating! 

tree at midnight. picture this morning. 

Tree last evening. 

A New Day!

Let's start the day off with a PayPal donation link:


This Morning
Woke at 7:30. Mild panic quickly repressed. I'm just too relaxed from last night's accomplishments to get upset today.

Spent some time this morning finishing the lights on the tree so that the kids could decorate. All strands are on and two half strands are out but that's a matter of finding the bad bulb.

Whew! I have sacrificed on programming duties but another load is off my plate. Now I can focus on getting more off. My shoulders feel lighter.

So far I have not yelled at Tommy despite his blatant attempts to engage in fights.

Todays Needs

I need to spend the day painting.
I need to spend the day working on the tree.
I need to spend the day in the office.
I need to spend the day shopping.
I need to spend the day planning.
I need to spend the day budgeting.
I need to spend the day with the kids.
I need to spend the day splitting wood.
I need to spend the day on home repair.
I need to spend the day on computer maintenance.

I will spend the day on the day and at its end I will know how the day was intended to be spent.

Of Grasshoppers

Student: I'm freezing my ass off!
Master: Then light a fire under it.

Walls now completely trimmed out. This Behr Sandwash paint is a pain! One brush stroke puts it on, the next takes it off. About 1/3 of a gallon went to trimming the walls and they will need a 2nd and maybe 3rd coat. At least now I can switch to the roller. 

A good friend recommended that until I get the lights on the tree that I get one of these.

Photo credit: Yuriko Nakao/Reuters

Care was taken with details such as the softness of the thighs, panty lines on the pillow’s “backside” and wrinkles in the lap of the skirt so as to make the pillow look and feel as real as possible.
“We thought our main customers would be men in their 20s, but even men in their 60s are buying it,” Igarashi said.

 

Do we have a ghost?

A closer picture. 

Ethereal Love

This X and O just appeared on the window as the night air became cooler. Do I have a spectral secret admirer? 

When you know you are going to do another coat and don't want to clean your roller, wrap it in saran wrap (plastic wrap) and it will save for your next coat. 

Ceiling painted. May not need another coat. 

Ceiling trimmed out. 

Current state of tree. 
See previous picture

Floor masked with newspaper and protected with plastic. Ready for paint. Room preped. 

Window masked and ready for paint. 

Use a piece of masking tape when removing outlet covers to avoid lost screws later in the project. 

Dressed to paint. 

Here is a view of the entry way with its interesting corners and some of the ceiling. I already removed the ugly ceiling fan which is centered in the room. 

The outer corner of the room. Note the challenging, non-standard windows. If I had a month two solid weeks to work on this with uninterupted days (ie. no work, no errands and money for supplies) I would rip the drywall out of these two walls. Install upgraded electrical, install new windows, and better insulate. I wonder what I would do with those nice Tennessee marble window sills? 

These are the hardwoods that the kids, the dog and myself are slowly destroying. I think I will call someone today to see if they can refinish the floors room by room or if it requires emptying the entire upstairs. Oh..and cost.